Page 102 - NZ Herefords Magazine 2019 Edition

The Hereford Year

Beef Week in

Rockhampton

WORDS ANDREW RUSSO PHOTOGRAPHS SUPPLIED

PICTURED: Representing NZ Hereford Youth – William Muir, Sam Tipping,
Josh McCormick, Roz Stokes and Nick France.

Every three years, the central Queensland town of KAIUROO
Rockhampton virtually doubles in size as people from around Some of the group took the opportunity to attend one of the property
Australia and the world descend for a week to celebrate tours to the Kaiuroo. Kaiuroo is an hour’s flight by light plane to the
everything about beef cattle. north west of Rockhampton into the highly regarded Mackenzie
A group of selected NZ Hereford Youth had the privilege of River district of Central Queensland. The farming operation, Kaiuroo
attending Beef Week 2018. All aspects of the beef cattle industry Aggregation, was established in 2014 under new ownership – with
are catered for with many events running concurrently throughout the majority being a New York-based syndicate – and was created
the week, including commercial cattle, stud cattle showing, stud by amalgamating four neighbouring properties to bring the total area
breeder display sites, seminars, cooking demonstrations and farm to 36,422ha. The business goal is to develop a modern, efficient,
tours. With such a large programme running and many different highly productive beef cattle and farming enterprise on a scale that
options, members of the group could pick and choose activities they hasn’t been seen in Central Queensland for some decades.
thought would be valuable for them and this was always followed Jennifer McCamley and Tom Emmery lead the management
by a good debrief with the whole group over dinner each evening. team at Kaiuroo. They are both passionate and experienced in the
Some of the highlights for the group were: local cattle industry, with Jennifer’s grandfather originally purchasing
Kaiuroo in 1937. Ongoing heavy investment in improvement now
GRACEMERE SALEYARDS sees a staff of 13 full-time equivalents, around 10,000 head of cattle
The Gracemere Saleyards on the outskirts of Rockhampton played (breeding, growing and finishing) including 4000 breeding cows (800
host to the commercial cattle competition, which involved pens of of which are stud Brahmans), and about 2400 acres of irrigated land
10 animals bred and prepared to be judged and then sold on the mainly growing Lecaena (tree lucerne) for finishing organic cattle,
first day of Beef Week. Almost 2000 cattle were presented and cash crop production (mung beans), and pasture for bull feed.
were divided into classes based on age, sex, time on feed, and The cattle farming system is based on certified organic beef
whether they had been hormonal growth promotant implanted. for international and domestic markets using both Grey and Red
Almost every breed imaginable was presented for the judging, Brahmans. The stud Brahman herds are genetically evaluated, with
from purebred Red and Grey Brahmans, Brahman crosses such as data collected on reproduction, heifer age at puberty and lactation,
Brangus, Braford, Charbray and the tropical adapted composites and anoestrous intervals in calved cows with the aim of eliminating
such as the Belmont Red and Droughtmasters. All pens were sold the common fault in Brahman cattle of only calving every second
through the large selling complex in front of an impressed crowd; year. The stud produces and sells around 300 two-year-old bulls
all stock movements in the slick operation were carried out by each year to other operations, averaging $3800 in the past year.
riders on horseback. The touring party had a great and informative day. Most of the
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