The Weekly Grill

S5 Ep21: The future of ag education, with Prof Jim Pratley

Prof Jim Pratley is one of Australia's best known ag educators, with a distinguished  40 year career.

In this wide ranging discussion with Weekly Grill podcast host Kerry Lonergan, he discusses what governments and industry could be doing to attract more students  to careers in ag, and how ag education could be tailored for indigenous students.

Prof Pratley began his teaching career in 1972 at Wagga Wagga Agricultural College, now Charles Sturt University. As Foundation Dean of the Faculty of Science and Agriculture and a long-serving Research Professor, he has influenced generations of educators and students through innovative teaching, research and mentoring.

Beyond the university setting, Prof Pratley has shaped national conversations on agricultural education. He led the NSW Ministerial Review into Agricultural Education and Training, helping elevate the importance of food and fibre in schools. He was a founding member of the Australian Council of Deans of Agriculture and has served on boards and advisory panels across industry and research. His work spans areas such as weed management, viticulture, and rice production.

In 2019, Prof Pratley was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to agricultural science and education. The Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia recently honoured Prof Pratley as a national leader in agricultural education and a lifelong advocate for food and fibre learning.

 

S5 Ep20: June market update with Matthew Dalgleish & Chris Howie

With sweeping tariff changes in the US, dramatic currency movements, floods and widespread late summer rain in pastoral areas of QLD and NSW, there was a lot to talk about in the latest Weekly Grill markets update podcast with regular commentators Chris Howie and Matt Dalgleish.

In today's episode Kerry Lonergan catches up with the pair on US President Trump's evolving tariff negotiations and the implications for China, the knock-on affects for Australia and other international markets, and how this affects the local cattle and sheep markets.

 

In other news the trio discuss:

• The industry’s overreaction to Trump’s tariffs
• The impact of the drought in the south
• Livestock numbers moving north
• Winter cropping
• More feedlots custom-feeding
• MLA’s Confidence Survey
• Goats
• China
• Urea prices
• The outlook post winter

 

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S5 Ep19: Meat Business Women organisation fills an important role

IN today's podcast episode, host Kerry Lonergan sits down with three women turning the tables in an historically male-dominated meat industry.

The Meat Business Women networking and personal development organisation held its annual conference in Brisbane recently, attracting a rowdy crowd of 250.

The organisation aims to empower women to make their mark in the meat industry. Founded in the UK in 2015, the Meat Business Women movement, has been a colossal success story in Australia, growing from a group of 30 to 600 members this year.

Today's guests include:

• Alexandra Harvey - Australian Community Engagement Manager, Meat Business Women (MBW)

• Rachel Gartshore - Winner of the MBW “One to Watch” Award 2025

• Rebecca Kelson - GM Retail Operations Bindaree Food Group

 

 

 

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S5 Ep18: Ross Ainsworth, NT's escalating buffalo issues

IN today's podcast episode, host Kerry Lonergan chews the fat with prominent live export identity and veterinarian - Katherine-based Ross Ainsworth. The pair discuss recent live export trade trends, and how the industry manages the growing population of esturine (Asian) buffalo in the NT  

Topics discussed:

 

• Escalating numbers of wild buffalo in Arnhem Land 

• The environmental problems 

• Commercial opportunities / barriers

• Feral camel and pig numbers

• Live trade out of the north

• Should Australia be worried about the boxed meat coming out of Brazil 

• Indonesian quarantine risks. LSD, FMD… and rabies. 

 

 

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S5 Ep17: Troy Setter, CEO Consolidated Pastoral Co.

IN today's podcast episode, host Kerry Lonergan sits down with Consolidated Pastoral Co CEO Troy Setter.

The pair discuss topics of high interest within the beef industry presently, including the impact of Queensland's foreign owner land tax on investment appetite; the likely trade impacts of Brazil's recent gaining of FMD-freedom without vaccination; CPC's diversification/expansion out of beef into large-scale wool production; biosecurity developments and the trading environment in Vietnam, China and Indonesia.

 

 

 

 

The Weekly Grill is brought to listeners by Rhinogard and Bovi-Shield MH-One, the One Shot, One Spray, One Time BRD Vaccines by Zoetis.

 

S5 Ep16: Prof Alison Van Eenaammen - the new frontier of cattle genetics DNA and biotechnology

IN today's episode podcast, host Kerry Lonergan sits down with up with US animal genetics expert and award winning ag communicator Professor Alison Van Eenaammen. Prof Van Eenennaam is a distinguished Professor of Cooperative Extension in the field of Animal Genomics and Biotechnology in the Department of Animal Science at  the University of California, Davis where she has been on faculty for over 20 years.

She spoke at the recent World Angus Congress in Brisbane on the opportunities and challenges for DNA and biotechnology in the beef industry.

 

 

 

 

The Weekly Grill is brought to listeners by Rhinogard and Bovi-Shield MH-One, the One Shot, One Spray, One Time BRD Vaccines by Zoetis.

 

 

S5 Ep15: Dr. Frank Mitloener - insights on methane emissions from livestock operations

IN today’s episode podcast host Kerry Lonergan catches up with Dr Frank Mitloehner, in a deep-dive into the beef industry’s climate impact, the importance of accurate accounting methodologies and why the livestock

“If we continue to reduce methane emissions in livestock sectors, whether through better grazing and forage, genetics, or tools coming online such as feed additives, livestock can be part of a climate solution. There aren’t many sectors that can say that,” he told the recent World Angus Forum.

Rather than being wrongly cast as a climate villain, Prof Mitloehner presented an opportunity for the livestock industry to be part of the climate solution.

“Farmers and graziers are stewards of the land and have been for generations. Stewardship is sometimes called sustainability, but regardless of the term, it’s part of the make-up of agriculture to manage the environment responsibly,” he said. “If we can reduce methane emissions from livestock, which we have, we can reduce warming by absorbing some of the excess greenhouse gases being emitted by industry.”

 

 

 

 

The Weekly Grill is brought to listeners by Rhinogard and Bovi-Shield MH-One, the One Shot, One Spray, One Time BRD Vaccines by Zoetis.

 

S5 Ep14: Certified Angus Beef president, John Stika

IN today’s episode podcast host Kerry Lonergan catches up with John Stika, president and CEO of Certified Angus Beef, the world’s largest branded beef program. Over the last 47 years CAB has grown into a red meat marketing colossus, grading around six million cattle each year producing beef sold into dozens of countries worldwide.

But it hasn’t always been easy, going within a single vote of being cancelled in its formative years before the program turned a profit.

S5 Ep13: World Angus Forum delegates on genetic progress in methane reduction

IN today's episode podcast host Kerry Lonergan catches up with Angus cattle producers attending the World Angus Congress in Brisbane.

Genetic selection of cattle for lower methane, sustainability and consumer attitudes to climate issues were common themes throughout the two-day event.

In this podcast, Angus cattlemen and women from across Australia and overseas give their views on how genetic selection for low methane might unfold in coming years. Will it be driven by pull-through from beef brand programs wishing to make carbon/methane claims? Will price signals be necessary for bull breeders to add methane to the already long list of traits they select for? 

Next week: Global livestock emissions crusader Frank Mitloener, who spoke this week at the World Angus Forum.

 

The Weekly Grill is brought to listeners by Rhinogard and Bovi-Shield MH-One, the One Shot, One Spray, One Time BRD Vaccines by Zoetis.

 

 

 

S5 Ep12: Dairy beef prospects growing: is it an under-utilised resource?

In today's episode podcast host Kerry Lonergan catches up with Dairy Australia's Sustainable Animal Care Manager Dr Andy Hancock, on progress in beef production from dairy calves.

 

Dairy Australia, the industry equivalent of MLA, is seeking beef industry input into the project called Calfways – a contraction of Calf Pathways. Developed over the past 18 months, the project originates from a dairy industry policy to ensure all dairy calves enter a valued market chain by 2035, with no on-farm euthanasia of viable calves.

To achieve the industry objectives, the project is aiming to input 300,000 to 400,000 extra animals per year into the beef supply chain.

 

The Weekly Grill is brought to listeners by Rhinogard and Bovi-Shield MH-One, the One Shot, One Spray, One Time BRD Vaccines by Zoetis.