The state’s $600-million beef industry has launched a roadmap to grow its annual farmgate returns by $100m in the coming decade.
The South Australian Beef Industry Blueprint, launched last week at the Growing SA conference in Hahndorf, provides targets for the SA beef industry to sustainably grow its 950,000 head and deliver more consistent year-round supply.
The initiative of Livestock SA has been funded by the University of Adelaide’s Davies Centre and PIRSA.
It follows the success of the SA Sheep Industry Blueprint, launched in April 2016, which achieved its five-year goal in just its second year.
Beef Blueprint chairman Bruce Creek says it has taken longer than expected to launch but they wanted to ensure they had accurate data on which to measure the plan’s success.
With funding from the federal government’s Building Better Regions Fund, Livestock SA commissioned Macrologic to analyse the National Livestock Identification System database’s movement data for SA from January 2010 to December 2017.
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Mr Creek says it has revealed some surprises, such as the SA herd having fallen by 240,000 head in the past five years.
Strong growth in the northern pastoral area has not been enough to offset large falls in the South East.
“Until now we didn’t really know that our herd had dropped by 20 per cent since 2013 but luckily we have held our dollar values up,” he said. “Who knows what will happen for the next 12 months with the season we have been handed, so the aim of the blueprint is to get those numbers back up.”
SA has also moved from being a net exporter to a net importer of 52,000 cattle for processing in 2017.
Mr Creek, an agribusiness management consultant with Thomas Elder Consulting, said the plan’s vision was not about converting more land to beef production but unlocking the production potential.
It is also about equipping the state’s 2700 beef producers with the management skills to increase their productivity and return on assets.
He has been reinvigorated about the state’s livestock sector by seeing the 24 members of the blueprint working group, including producers, feedlotters, processors, researchers, consultants and retail representatives, all working together.
“If we can increase the farmgate value by $100m it will not just add to the producer’s bottom line, it will add value to everyone right through to the consumer and put more money into the state’s economy,” he said.
Projects to enhance productivity
Attracting more research funding to the state is one of the aims of the SA Beef Industry Blueprint, according to Livestock SA president Joe Keynes.
He says this has already occurred as a result of the Sheep Blueprint, with more than 20 projects under way.
“Government investment in research and development has been lacking in this state but with the confidence of two blueprints, hopefully they can steer us in the right direction and lift funding again,” Mr Keynes said.
Four projects, funded by Meat & Livestock Australia or its donor company and undertaken by the University of Adelaide, have already begun.
They include developing imaging to predict embryo quality in cattle embryo transfer programs, antimicrobial resistance surveillance of Bovine Respiratory Disease pathogens and integrating genomics and Meat Standards Australia carcase traits into estimated breeding values to accelerate genetic gain.
The latter project is being run in conjunction with Herefords Australia members and their commercial clients in southern Australia.
Primary Industries Minister Tim Whetstone commended the industry on its vision in developing the blueprint.
“With projections of a 25 per cent increase in red meat demand in the Asia Pacific region by 2030, there is enormous opportunity for the SA beef industry as a recognised supplier of safe and nutritious protein,” he said.
