Progressive beef producers in northern NSW and southern Queensland
will be the target for an innovative new feedlot and carcase
performance competition being launched this year in association with
Casino's Primex Field Days.
The competition, aimed at domestic grainfed cattle, will carry a prize pool worth about $10,000.
Equally importantly, the event will provide opportunity for
producers to benchmark the performance of their cattle against others,
and access comprehensive feedlot weightgain, killfloor and chiller
data. Each entry will also be sampled and analysed under Pfizer's
GeneStar DNA test program.
Primex director Bruce Wright said the inclusion of a
performance-based carcase competition would add an important new
dimension to the field days' livestock program.
A final results briefing and prize distribution will take place
during Primex on June 18, including guest speakers who will cover
topical subjects such as the MSA program and feedlot backgrounding for
optimum performance.
Geoff Willett's Maydan feedlot near Warwick - a modern,
well-equipped 8000-head facility easily accessible to both NSW and Qld
competitors - will play host to the inaugural competition.
Plans are afoot for a mid-term field day where exhibitors can
catch up on the feeding and animal health performance of their entries
during the program.
Processing will take place at the Northern Cooperative Meat Co
plant at Casino in early June, where entries will be assessed on the
kill floor and in the chillers for meat quality and yield criteria
against a domestic grid, using the ABCAS system.
MSA criteria will also be applied, with results reported in detail back to exhibitors.
Blok Agribusiness, a regular client at Casino, will purchase the competition carcases on an over-the-hooks basis.
Nominations for the inaugural Primex carcase competition will close in late March.
Each entry will consist of four steers or heifers, with the best three counting towards carcase results.
* For further details, contact the coordinator Bruce Wright on (0411) 740 374
Source: farmonline.com.au
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