The Weekly Grill

S4 Ep11: AA Co 200 years - Recollections from former staff member Geoff Wagstaff

As part of our series relating to AA Co's 200-year anniversary this year, today's Weekly Grill episode sees host Kerry Lonergan chatting with former AA Co senior manager Geoff Wagstaff, who worked with the company for almost 30 years, from 1979.

 

Here's some of Geoff's recollections of early company operations.

Click here to view Beef Centrals' earlier story on AA Co's genetics history

 

The Weekly Grill is brought to readers and listeners by Elders and Rhinogard by Zoetis.

S4 Ep10: Celebrating the success of the ICMJ program, with Peter McGilchrist

On the eve of the annual Inter-Collegiate Meat Judging northern conference in Rockhampton next week, Weekly Grill podcast host Kerry Lonergan chats with ICMJ chairman Peter McGilchrist, on how the education body came into being, what purpose it currently serves for the beef and sheepmeat industry, and who has been part of the program over the years

 

The Weekly Grill is brought to readers and listeners by Elders and Rhinogard by Zoetis.

S4 Ep9: Industry advocate, Brent Finlay

Former NFF President Brent Finlay came out of the paddock two decades ago to tackle agricultural representation including local, state, commodity, national and World Farm Organisation roles.

Passionate about Australia's greatest industry  - agriculture - its people, its communities and its products, he is seeking support from across the sector and the rural community for landmark reforms to Australian agricultural representation.

Relieving unnecessary regulatory burdens is just one of the topics raised during today's discussion with Weekly Grill podcast host, Kerry Lonergan.

S4 Ep8: Beef 2024 chairman Bryce Camm

With the countdown to the Australian beef industry's paramount event, Beef 2024, now down to seven weeks, podcast host Kerry Lonergan this week chats with event chairman Bryce Camm.

More than 100,000 Australian and international meat and livestock industry stakeholders are expected to pass through the Rocky Showgrounds for the six-day event.

How are preparations going? What's new for 2024? How can patrons extract the maximum benefit from attending? Beef 2024 chairman Bryce Camm has high expectations for the May event, which promises to inform, educate and entertain patrons like never before.

 

The Weekly Grill is brought to readers and listeners by Elders and Rhinogard by Zoetis.

S4 Ep7: Northern Cooperative Meat Co chairman, John Seccombe

Weekly Grill podcast host Kerry Lonergan this week chats with John Seccombe, Northern NSW beef producer and chairman of the Northern Co-operative Meat Co processing business at Casino.

Operating since 1933, NCMC is recognised in Australia and globally as an industry leader in red meat processing, and along with WAMMCo in Western Australia, is one of only two cooperatively-structed red meat processors in the country. Through its world-class processing facilities, NCMC provides customers with a unique opportunity to process beef, veal and, pork.

John has chaired the NCMC board for the past 11 years.

 

The Weekly Grill is brought to readers and listeners by Elders and Rhinogard by Zoetis.

S4 Ep6: MLA Science & Innovation head, Michael Lee

Weekly Grill podcast host Kerry Lonergan this week chats with Michael Lee - Group manager for Science and Innovation at Meat & Livestock Australia.

  

In this role he provides strategic direction and leadership to MLA’s Science & Innovation team with the scope of work including food safety, processing efficiencies, automation, digital agriculture, objective measurement, food innovation, meeting market specifications, and positioning red meat value chains for future growth - as well as increasing demand for red meat through pioneering products and processes and new tools, techniques and technologies.

Michael comes from a food and packaging technology background with 25 years’ experience across the meat supply chain from retail to operations. Prior to joining MLA he has worked for Woolworths Supermarkets National Office, Hans Smallgoods, and JBS Australia in various commercial and technical roles.

 

The Weekly Grill is brought to readers and listeners by Elders and Rhinogard by Zoetis.

S4 Ep5: Cattle Australia chief executive, Chris Parker

Weekly Grill host, Kerry Lonergan this week catches up with Cattle Australia chief executive, Dr Chris Parker. Among other topics, the pair discuss the grassfed cattle levy, carbon and methane, biosecurity, skilled labour shortages, sustainability … and more.

 

 

S4 Ep4: Northern live exporter Patrick Underwood

With Wednesday’s Indonesian national election victory being claimed by the Gerindra party’s Prabowo Subianto, attention will now focus on the prospects for 2024 live cattle import permits to be issued, following lengthy delays.

 

In this week’s Weekly Grill podcast, host Kerry Lonergan talks with Darwin based live exporter Patrick Underwood from Australian Cattle Enterprises, discussing the permit issue, prospects for live exports to Indonesia and other markets throughout 2024, and what happens to northern cattle – now rapidly gaining weight - if there are further permit delays.

While unofficial tallies conducted by Indonesian polling agencies yesterday had Subianto holding between 57 percent and 59 percent of votes, it will take Indonesia’s Election Commission up to a month to confirm the final results.

S4 Ep3: Northern pastoral and agribusiness identity, Chris Evans

This week’s Weekly Grill podcast guest, Chris Evans, has spent his working life involved in extensive cattle operations across Northern Australia – both as a consultant/advisor and under his own steam.

 

He was managing director and later chairman of prominent agribusiness consultancy and asset managers Taylor Byrne (later Rural Management Partners) from 1987 to 2015, managing a wide range of pastoral assets across Queensland, the NT and the Kimberley region. For a lengthy period he also played a significant role in Indigenous-owned pastoral operations.

Chris also spent almost a decade as a director of Consolidated Pastoral Co, and under his own ownership, runs Bulloo River Pastoral Co, operating Nyngarie Station near Quilpie.

He sits on the Western Queensland Beef Research Committee, and in 2013, undertook a new business venture, launching online rural merchandise sales platform, FarmShop Australia.

S4 Ep2: What lies ahead in 2024 for beef, with analyst Simon Quilty

Driven by favourable weather across eastern Australia, the 2024 cattle market has opened with a flourish, as slaughter cattle, young cattle and breeder replacements all trend sharply higher in value.

 

Today's Weekly Grill podcast hosted by Kerry Lonergan features independent analyst Simon Quilty, discussing the current market environment and what lies ahead. Is the best of the price rally now behind us? Will current cattle prices be sustained? Will processors facing labour challenges be able to cope with greater slaughter cattle volume? What impact will the beef herd decline in the United States have on Australian meat and livestock markets?

These and other questions are explored in this week's episode.