Beef Week 2013 One of the Biggest

AUSTRALIA - Close to 260 beef cattle studs representing over 30 breeds are involved in the nation’s biggest on-farm open day event, the 2013 Stock & Land Beef Week in south-east Australia from January 30 to February 6.
calendar icon 14 December 2012
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Starting on Wednesday, January 30 in Victoria’s Western District, a cavalcade of beef cattle enthusiasts will follow the Beef Week trail for eight days concluding on Wednesday, February 6 when 33 studs will open their gates in the eastern Riverina, the biggest day in Beef Week 2013.

Beef Week is a great opportunity for seedstock and commercial producers to compare breeds and studs within breeds before making buying decisions according to Beef Week director Geoff Phillips.

“Beef Week allows both big and small operations to display their stock. Many sell privately on the day and for many studs it is their major marketing day of the year, while others display the bulls catalogued for upcoming on-property sales,” he said.

“The 50 studs with the foresight to enter the first Beef Week 21 years ago could not have envisaged the event would go from strength to strength and now is the most important marketing activities for beef cattle seedstock producers in south-east Australia.

“In 2012 two new Beef Week sponsors, Rural Finance and the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria, joined with Merial and naming sponsor Stock & Land to ensure the event is strongly promoted to the widest possible audience. These sponsors are delighted with the exposure they obtain through Beef Week and have continued their involvement,” said Mr Phillips.

The RASV Beef Week Heifer Challenge, with properties displaying a pen of 10 of their best registered heifers under two years of age, has attracted 70 entries with $4500 cash prize money for the winners.

Many entrants in the inaugural Heifer Challenge in 2012 said their heifers generated interest and discussion and certainly was an additional attraction and talking point.

As in the past Herefords and Angus studs make up over half the studs involved with 81 whiteface studs and 55 Angus studs opening their gates, both up on 2012.

“The surge of Limousin entrants over the past few years has continued with 24 studs represented, with Charolais next with 19 studs, a record number for that breed in Beef Week,” said Mr Phillips.

“Murray Greys have 10 studs involved while Blonde d’Aquitaine breeders have made a big effort to market their breed with eight studs entered.”

Multi-stud displays at the Mt Gambier, SA, show grounds (17 studs will display 11 breeds) and at Lardner Park in Gippsland (five studs with seven breeds) allow smaller studs without the facilities and numbers to host an on property display to be involved in Beef Week.

The success of Beef Week has attracted three major South Australian based studs that are trucking big displays of cattle to Mortlake where the two saleyards will host displays on day two.

“For over two decades Stock & Land Beef Week has been the premier event of its type in the nation and promotes the excellent seedstock herds in Australia’s south-east,” said Mr Phillips.

“There will be thousands of cattle on display and potential bull buyers are expected to be out in force looking to buy bulls during Beef Week or inspecting bulls that will be coming up for auction at on-property bull sales this autumn,” said Mr Phillips.

Details of the studs in Beef Week are available on www.beefweek.com.au.

TheCattleSite News Desk

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