Herefords Australia Limited is out to prove that Angus isn’t the only cattle that can perform in the feedlot with the launch of its new Red Star Hereford Secure Program.
In mid-March the Board of Herefords Australia Limited gave the green light for the launch of the new quality assurance program which promises to produce cattle that are ‘healthier, calmer and set for superior feedlot performance’.
Under the program selected Hereford and Hereford-cross cattle are carefully managed from weaning through to delivery to the feedlot.
Weaners go through a strict program which sees them yard weaned, trained to feed from a bunk, vaccinated, drenched and given nutritional supplements. Breeders can either choose to sell their Red Star certified weaners to a backgrounder or can background the cattle themselves before marketing them as Red Star Hereford Secure Certified cattle to feedlots.
HAL Commercial Development and Industry Liaison Manager Geoff Taylor says the program is about ensuring that Hereford cattle deliver for buyers at the end of the value chain.
“We’re motivated by the desire to see the national Hereford population to do the best job possible for down-chain operators.
“We feel we have a responsibility to pass on a product that’s going to achieve its maximum potential and this program will assist us in achieving that aim,” Mr Taylor said.
Herefords Australia Limited are the first breed group to embrace the Red Star program which is marketed by Elders and delivered by South Australian company, Livestock Central.
Mr Taylor said the HAL Directors were impressed with what the quality assurance program had to offer and with the results commercial members have achieved with Red Star accredited cattle.
“Commercial Hereford weaners sold at last year’s Hamilton weaner sales for 209 c/kg when the average for the day was 193 c/kg.”
He made it clear that these premiums are not always guaranteed.
“We’ve been introducing members to the program at a series of workshops around Australia and there will be more to come. One of the questions that has come up regularly is ‘how much extra will we be paid for Red Star accredited cattle?’
“Obviously we can’t guarantee how much feedlots might be prepared to pay. What we’re saying to our members is that this is about market access to the feedlot sector. The better prepared and the better performing the cattle are, the more the demand there will be. The market will take care of the price.”
Costs for members joining the program are estimated at a $50 joining fee plus $5 per head for certification.
Mr Taylor said he expects good support for the new program from members and from feedlots finishing cattle for the domestic and shortfed export markets.
“There are a number of feedlots including Whyalla and Rockdale that regularly purchase whiteface cattle. This program will help ensure that the cattle we deliver do the job. The feedlot industry is on a tight margin so anything we can do in terms of improved yield, health, meat quality and days to finishing will no doubt be well received.”
“If that means we increase our market share then that’s great,.” Mr Taylor said.
