The Weekly Grill

S3 Ep25: QLD beef processor Terry Nolan

CREATIVE solutions to processing labour challenges, trends in the slaughter and store cattle markets, and how the business has moved on from devastating flooding in early 2022 were topics served up during this week’s Weekly Grill podcast, where host Kerry Lonergan has a lengthy chat with southeast Queensland beef processor and producer Terry Nolan, co-principal of Nolan Meats near Gympie.

Mr Nolan was the subject on the very first episode of the Weekly Grill almost three years ago, and the pair discuss the dramatic changes seen in the beef industry landscape since then – for both producers and processors.

S3 Ep24: CPC managing director and Livecorp chairman, Troy Setter

Fresh back from a marketplace visit to Indonesia, Consolidated Pastoral Co head and Livecorp chairman Troy Setter sits down to chew the fat in the latest episode of Beef Central's Weekly Grill podcast.

Host Kerry Lonergan turns up the heat, asking about beef demand and economic conditions in Indonesia, boat cattle livestock price prospects for the rest of the year, and other trends.

S3 Ep23: Cattle Australia chief executive Luke Bowen

Weekly Grill podcast host Kerry Lonergan turns up the heat on Cattle Australia CEO, Luke Bowen.

What are the front-of-mind issues faced by the grassfed beef industry as we pass he mid-point of 2023? How are Cattle Australia’s finance plans developing?  How important is carbon/sustainability on CA’s policy-setting radar?

These and other topics are covered in this week’s episode

S3 Ep22: Progress in objective carcase measurement, with Dr Graham Gardiner and Dr Peter McGilchrist

Weekly Grill podcast host Kerry Lonergan turns up the heat on two of Australia's leading meat scientists, Prof Graham Gardiner and Dr Peter McGilchrist - who have headed Australia's recent research into objective carcase measurement. The ground-breaking ALMTech project driving advances in objective measurement for carcase yield and quality officially came to a close on 30 June.

 

 

So what's been achieved? What remains to be done? Is there a risk of the work stalling, now that funding for the research under ALMTech has come to a close? Why does the industry even need objective measurement of beef and lamb carcases?

These and other questions are covered by Dr McGilchrist and Prof Gardiner, in this detailed four-way discussion with Weekly Grill editor Kerry Lonergan and Beef Central's Jon Condon

S3 Ep21: The voice of the bush in Canberra - Senator Susan McDonald

Weekly Grill podcast host Kerry Lonergan turns up the heat on the woman regarded by many as the 'voice of the bush' in Canberra, Senator Susan McDonald.

 

Among the broad topics discussed, Sen McDonald was the chair of the Senate inquiry into Definitions of Meat and Other Animal Products back in 2022, that proposed a raft of changes to terminology around plant-based meat and other issues. What's happened since?

 

S3 Ep20: Red meat industry advocate Laura Ryan

This week, Weekly Grill podcast host Kerry Lonergan turns up the heat on international red meat advocate, Laura Ryan

S3 Ep19: The changing beef consumer focus, with Stockyard’s Lisa Sharp

This week, Weekly Grill podcast host Kerry Lonergan turns up the heat on consumer behaviour and marketing expert, Stockyard's Lisa Sharp.

 

S3 Ep18: Cattle market update, with Chris Howie & Matt Dalgleish

Australian young cattle and slaughter cattle prices have continued to descend during the first half of 2023. In this week's podcast, regular markets commentators, RMA's Chris Howie and Ep3's Matt Dalgleish face the big questions: Are we at or near the bottom of the price cycle? What impact will the forecast drier winter have on cattle supply and demand?

Are processors going to be able to cope (labour wise) with larger numbers of slaughter cattle? If not, what happens to prices? These and other topics are posed in today's cattle market update podcast by Weekly Grill host, Kerry Lonergan.

Other topics include the rapidly changing circumstances in the US beef production cycle, the impact of this month's UK Free Trade Agreement and other potential headwinds and tailwinds.

 

 

 

S3 Ep17: Value-Added Beef Processor David Beak

TAKE a look in any supermarket retail chilled cabinet, and it's evident that value-added meat products are rapidly soaking up space previously devoted to basic chilled, packaged beef and lamb.

 

Around the world, time-poor householders are increasingly looking at more convenient heat-and-serve and ready-to-eat meals.

One of the pioneers in the value-added further processing industry in Australia, David Beak, sits down with the Weekly Grill podcast host Kerry Lonergan this week.

His Sydney-based food manufacturing business, Beak & Johnston, employs 1200 staff, and is in the process of opening an enormous new state-of the-art facility to keep up with booming domestic and international demand.

What does it mean for the Australian beef and lamb industries?

As an aside, David has a close family connection with pastoral industry legends, the Vestey family, and recounts some of his memories with Kerry.

S3 Ep16: NSW beef producer and Cattle Australia director, George King

New South Wales beef producer George King's views expressed in an opinion piece on carbon published on Beef Central back in March attracted an extraordinary level of reader comment.

 

Mr King, who also joined the board of the new Cattle Australia board representing the grassfed cattle industry in December, sat down with Weekly Grill podcast host Kerry Lonergan last week to chew the fat.