A Gumlu beef producer has taken out the 2022 Northern Pasture Fed Carcase Competition with a pen of three Charbray heifers.
The carcase competition was initiated by a group of northern cattle enthusiasts to evaluate and demonstrate the potential to produce high quality MSA graded beef in North Queensland.
The winning pen was entered by Alistair Brown of Karinya who operates a commercial beef enterprise of Brahman and Charbray cattle across the 1000 acre home block.
"We are in the process of developing Redlands leucaena under trickle irrigation," he said.
"Depending on the situation, we either finish to carcase or go into the feeder market."
Mr Brown said the operation also utilised an agistment block to breed a predominantly Brahman and Charbray female herd with bulls of the same breeds.
"Ultimately, the weaners come back from the agistment place and are finished on the Redlands leucaena," he said.
Mr Brown said the family entered the competition to showcase the quality beef on offer in the north.
"We don't have access to MSA grading in Townsville, but obviously MSA is underpinning the quality of beef within our Australian industry," he said.
"We want to demonstrate that there are good cattle in the north and we can finish to grade within the MSA system.
"Receiving that sort of feedback is invaluable and you can compare yourself back to the index as well as to how you are situated within a national scheme."
Mr Brown said the heifers were bought out of the Mareeba saleyards from three different vendors and averaged 195 kilograms at induction.
"They had an overall average gain of 0.65kg a day grazing on Redlands leucaena, and improved and native pasture throughout this time with an average peak of 1.39kg a day in the lead up to the carcase competition," he said.
The winning pen of three heifers received an MSA index of 60.62 and a lean meat yield of 56.96 percent.
Tablelands producer Bernie English assisted in the facilitation of the competition and said demand for the product continued to grow.
"North Queensland currently has no export abattoir MSA grading any beef," he said.
"However, producers operating in the high rainfall coastal country that produce over 180kg annual live weight gain can achieve the required MSA grading standards.
"Cattle entered into the competition came from Bowen to Atherton with 25 per cent of carcases grading above MSA index 59, which is in the top 25 per cent of cattle MSA graded in Queensland.
"Lean meat yields ranged from 52.2 per cent to 62.6 per cent."
The top carcase went to Gordon and Tabitha Carcary of Acton Ridge Ultrablack and Brangus stud located in the Atherton Tablelands with an MSA index of 63.71.
"An important early lesson for participating producers was the use of ossification scores instead of dentition to age the animals, as officiation better reflects the animals maturity and its lifetime health and nutrition," Mr English said.
"The second best carcase had six teeth, which under present grading rules would be well down the price grid."
Zoe Thomas
Northern based journalist at North Queensland Register and Queensland Country Life.
Northern based journalist at North Queensland Register and Queensland Country Life.
