Tocal course spurs on next generation of Angus breeders

That was one of the gems taken away by an Angus Foundation scholarship winner who attended last year's Tocal Beef Cattle Assessment Course.

Each year the Angus Foundation supports a select group of up-and-coming industry members to attend the highly valued course which is run by Angus NSW.

In 2023, scholarship recipients Millie Moore, South Australia; Libby Falkiner, Victoria; Edwina Hall, Tasmania; Sophie Hanna, Victoria, and Riley Badenoch, South Australia, took part in the course in December.

It is widely recognised as the most practical and hands-on beef cattle selection course of its kind, covering topics such as using estimated breeding values (EBV), structural conformation and selection of market utilising Bos Taurus and Bos Indicus breeds and their crosses.

The course brings together like-minded individuals, presenting networking opportunities for attendees.

Scholarship recipient, Millie Moore, said she was keen to expand her hands-on knowledge and get her boots on the ground to gain a better understanding of what producers were really looking for in different cattle operations.

"It is not often that courses are spent 90 per cent in the yards, with overjudges and educators who each have extensive experience in various areas of the beef industry," Ms Moore said.

"Concepts discussed in the classroom were taken out to the yards, where we could see the characteristics on the cattle, and structural and yield differences were assessed and explained in real-time.

"The diversity of the group in attendance also offered incredible insight, with each of us having a different background, varying experience in cattle assessment and also very different end markets."

Ms Moore, who completed a Bachelor of Agricultural Sciences in Adelaide, graduating in 2019, has begun her own herd while also working in pasture agronomy and seed sales.

She said she'd like to knuckle down on what she was trying to achieve and look at creating a better timeline of when she will look to turn off cattle to be better prepared and align with the markets.

"In the future, I'd like to keep building a herd, with a transition to more Angus, and eventually have some land of my own," Ms Moore said.

She said the ability to "take a step back", was highlighted by the instructors, who advised breeding and managing for a specific market rather than aiming for perfection.

"We can often get so wrapped up in getting it all 'right' or what we 'should' be aiming for," Ms Moore said.

"However, nobody has bred the perfect cattle yet, and the target market is the main driver for what that looks like.

"Work out what that market is, then work back to the small steps you can take with your cattle and management to get you there."

THE support from the Angus Foundation to attend the course holds more than monetary value for recipients.

The networks gained and the confidence given by having an established organisation recognise an individual's passion for beef were welcome bonuses, according to Ms Moore.

"It has topped off a massive year of personal and professional growth for me and I have come away from the course with new friendships, ideas and renewed confidence to keep building my herd, one cow at a time," she said.

"It will also underpin my practical skills as I continue to kickstart my agricultural career.

"No breed quite has the diverse genetic pool and research as Angus, and I am excited to see the continued development as Angus Australia invests in research to explore further EBVs and improve the efficiency of cattle.

"I enjoy seeing the Angus breed spread far and wide, and helping not only the breed itself, but the entire Australian beef industry."

Angus Australia extension officer Nancy Crawshaw said each of this year's recipients had a different background in the industry and were looking to further their understanding of cattle selection so they were able to build their skill sets and be more well-rounded members of the industry.

VICTORIAN agricultural science graduate Sophie Hanna now has a strengthened understanding of the key physical and genetic attributes to look for when assessing and selecting beef cattle for their target market and breeding system.

The livestock officer with Riverine Plains was one of the 2023 Angus Foundation scholarship recipients to attend the Tocal Beef Cattle Assessment Course last December.

She said grasping the key market specifications for Australian beef and the various consumer demands, domestic and international, formed a strong foundation for building beef cattle assessment skills.

"By understanding the final product processors are aiming for, our mentors drew the connection to the selection criteria livestock buyers use when purchasing terminal stock," Ms Hanna said.

"Understanding what buyers are looking for in cattle, whether it be condition, yield, stage of maturity, or structural soundness, and how much emphasis they put on each, enabled us to get our eye in on what to look for, and where, on a live animal."

Coming from a commercial Angus self-replacing farm in the Upper Murray, Victoria, Ms Hanna said understanding what buyers are looking for is critical for enabling the business to continue improving its herd's performance, keeping in mind it must also prioritise maternal characteristics to ensure the sustainability of the breeding herd.

"When selecting and culling stock, and overall improving our genetics, we should be selecting for traits that improve the productivity of our terminal stock, while also selecting for traits that enhance or maintain our breeding herd, such structural soundness and fertility traits," she said.

"The opportunity to assess Angus and crossbred steers, heifers and bulls helped me understand critical yield, condition and structural differences between breeds and how this impacts their suitability for various climates and target markets."

She thanked Angus Australia for the opportunity.