The Weekly Grill

S5 Ep32: Embracing AI & Machine Learning technologies in Ag, with Dr Tom Lee

Artificial intelligence is now starting to creep into the Australian red meat supply chain, whether it is accurately counting sheep or cattle off a truck into a meatworks holding yard, or picking the shape of tri-tips from a range of primals passing down a processing conveyor belt and packing them in a carton.

In today’s Weekly Grill podcast, host Kerry Lonergan chews the fat with Dr Tom Lee from the University of Technology, Sydney.

Tom classifies himself as a ‘middle man’ between AI technology developers/designers and potential end-users like farmers and meat processors.

Haw far has AI progressed in ag? While certain early-adopters and innovator farmers are on the front foot, uptake is still pretty niche in ag, Tom says, but things are changing rapidly. But right now, for the bulk of farmers, AI is still something they are hearing about, rather than applying.

He says it’s important to make a distinction between AI and a second second technology term, Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).

“People think AI will eventually mimic a human being, if we keep investing in it – but that’s AGI, not AI,” he said.

“AI is great at playing a game of chess – solving ‘small world things’ where all the inputs are known, and it can work through all the permutations, using massive amounts of data in really powerful ways – but it can’t do the things that a human mind can do.”

 

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S5 Ep31: September market wrap with Chris Howie and Matt Dalgleish

With sweeping tariff changes and drastically declining beef production in the US, global instability in the Middle East and Ukraine, lingering effects of drought in southern Australia, 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 cattle price trends and what’s driving them, this year’s extraordinary number of sale yard cattle transactions, weather conditions and the spring rains in the south. Are they drought breaking?, Live export markets, feedlot numbers – will we get to 2 million cattle on feed?  Lotfeeding lamb. Is it viable? … and more

 

 

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S5 Ep30: Farmers Fighting Fund chair, Hugh Nivison

In the 1980s, farmers were concerned that union intransigence and rigidity, as exemplified by the Mudginberri dispute, threatened the future of Australian agriculture and industry productivity in general.

Mudgenberri presented the opportunity for the NFF, with AFFF support, to challenge and defeat the old, inward-looking standards that had long passed their used-by date.

Farmers ‘put their hands in their pockets’ for the cause, raising millions of dollars. Half the money raised was donated by non-farming businesses that supported the NFF’s challenge to injustices.

Those funds are still working for Australian farmers today, fighting issues that would set disturbing precedents for farmers, regional communities and Australia as a whole.

In today’s podcast, host Kerry Lonergan talks with Fighting Fund chairman Hugh Nivison.

How much does the fund currently contain? How are decisions made about where and when the funds are spent? Can it be used for government lobby purposes? These are just some of the topics discussed.

 

Hugh Nivison

 

 

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S5 Ep29: Roger Fletcher, the bush billionaire

In this week's episode, podcast host Kerry Lonergan catches up with processor Roger Fletcher, the man behind Australia's most successful integrated sheep meat processing business, Fletcher International. In a wide ranging conversation, the pair discuss Roger's humble beginnings droving sheep around Glen Innes; the opportunities he seized along the way to help build his $1.4b empire; and current high lamb prices, and how sustainable they are.

Other topics of conversation include:

• Why he never got into cattle
• Expanding interests in Western Australia
• Exclusion fencing
• Today's challenges
• Lot feeding sheep
• Saying 'no' to Kerry Packer
• ... and more

 

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S5 Ep28: What's driving the record high prices for lamb?

With frenched cutlets now selling in some metro butcheries for $95/kg. and even the humble shank retailing in supermarkets for the equivalent of $7.50 each, domestic lamb prices are today testing the boundaries of what the market ever thought possible.

But even at those ticket prices, independent retailers say there is no margin in lamb at current wholesale levels, two leading independent butchers tell Weekly Grill podcast host Kerry Lonergan in today’s episode.

 

 

Successful Brisbane butcher Tim Walsh, and Sydney retailer Stephen Kelly, who owns and runs five large shopping centre butcheries across Sydney and Newcastle, give their views of the red meat retail landscape in the current cycle of record high prices. The pair are joined by regular podcast contributor, analyst Matt Dalgleish from Episode 3.

 

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 Ep27: Three generations of Harts share the Stockyard journey

Some salient lessons in succession planning were aired during last Friday’s annual Rural Press Cub breakfast held as part of the Brisbane Ekka, where three generations of the Hart family from Stockyard Beef shared the stage in front of an audience of 700.

Founder Robin Hart, his son Lachie and granddaughter Ali later sat down with Weekly Grill host Kerry Lonergan to talk about multi-generational farm sector businesses and how they have made it work.

Key to the narrative was the deliberate steps taken at Stockyard to manage the inter-generational transition, evolving from a “family business” into a “business family” approach.

Each generation of Harts brought their own skill-set to the business, with the third generation of family members (Ali and her sister Bec) bringing purpose, innovation and fresh perspectives, the audience heard.

 

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S5 Ep26: Labour challenges in regional and rural Australia, with Tom Reardon

In this weeks' podcast episode, host Kerry Lonergan chats with recruitment and labour specialist Tom Reardon, on the ongoing labour challenges in regional and rural Australia.

 

Two years ago in a previous conversation, Mr Reardon, the head of labour resourcing firm PeopleIn, described the labour situation in rural Australia was as bad as he had ever seen it. What's happened since?

 

PeopleIn currently has around 2000 job vacancies on its books across rural and regional areas of the country.

 

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S5 Ep25: Mid year property market trends, with LAWD's Danny Thomas

In this weeks' podcast episode, host Kerry Lonergan chats with LAWD's gregarious property marketing identity, Danny Thomas.

 

Among other topics, the pair discuss:

 

• The federal super tax and its' impacts on rural properties 
• SMSF rules and listings of rural properties 
• Interest in Australia’s ag properties from US
• Canadian super funds
• China - are they turning their attention to South America?
• Vietnamese / Malaysian / Japanese investment in Australia
• Carbon Farming… is it influencing buying?
• Trumps tariffs and how Australian ag is benefiting
• More big Australian assets about to hit the market
• Australia’s hot spots for rural properties
• Is there a bump on the way?

 

 

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S5 Ep24: International red meat markets with MLA's Andrew Cox

In this weeks’ podcast episode, host Kerry Lonergan chats with MLA’s General Manager – International Markets, Andrew Cox.

 

While their discussion was recorded prior to the recent announcement about re-approval of US beef imports to Australia, the pair discuss a range of topics including the impact of US tariff measures on global beef trade, and where Australia sits in relation to other nations’ tariffs.

 

Among other topics, the pair discuss:

• Brazil – should Australia be concerned about Brazil’s grinding meat heading for the US?
• Where our best beef cuts are going
• Lamb in the US
• China market developments
• Indonesia
• Cambodia/ Thailand and Vietnam
• The UK and EU…. and more

 

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

 

S5 Ep23: Sydney celebrity chef Neil Perry, on why red meat matters in the fine dining sector

In an era when leading restaurant chefs are viewed more like rock-stars than food purveyors, Sydney restaurateur Neil Perry is the Bruce Springsteen of the Australian fine-dining industry.

 

His Sydney restaurants Margaret and (part-owned) Rockpool recently featured among the World’s Top 100 steak restaurants, ranking No 2 and No 12 respectively. What does he think about the future of Australian red meat?

 

 

 

 

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