Markets and marketing

Marketing cattle for maximum returns is an important component of a profitable beef business.

Good marketing has four components:

Choosing the market most suitable and profitable for a particular line of cattle. This includes understanding your customers and their specifications.
Producing cattle to consistently meet market specifications for the target market.
Selecting and presenting cattle for sale so as to maximise potential returns.
Obtaining feedback to identify problems and opportunities to improve compliance.

Topics covered in this section are:

Meat & Livestock Australia provide a range of market and market analysis services for all beef industry sectors. Individual industry organisations also compile business and marketing information, for example:

AUSTRADE, Department of Agriculture and Water Resources – Biosecurity, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade also provide useful information regarding livestock and red meat export and import requirements, quotas, Free-Trade-Agreements, etc.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Regional Economics and Sciences provide detailed industry data and analysis.

The National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) is the identification and traceability system for livestock. Lifetime traceability improves product integrity and market access (particularly for export markets), and assists with the management of disease and chemical residue issues.

National Livestock Identification System, Integrity Systems
National Livestock Identification System, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries

Resources

Tools

Want to use the Breedcow & Dynama herd budgeting software programs to examine an alternative marketing strategy. Contact your local beef extension officer for some one on one assistance.

Publications

Publications about markets and marketing

Multimedia

Beef supply chain development

As presented at the Northern Beef Research Update Conference 2013, Brad McCormick (State Beef Leader, Western Australia Department of Agriculture and Food) reviews the whole supply chain approach to market development for the Australian beef industry with the aim of developing robust beef supply chains. Topics covered include the key challenges, aligning seasonal supply and increasing the value of the processing sector. 18:53 minutes published 10 March 2014 by FutureBeefAu.

Growth paths for meeting market specs

As presented at the Northern Beef Research Update Conference 2013, Stu McLennan (Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation) updates the growth path optimisation grazing project and discusses new research in relation to the project and the implications and future directions involved. Stu discusses the factors influencing seasonal feeding strategies including the interaction of compensatory gain and response to supplements, pasture utilisation, HGP effect, skeletal growth and economic outcomes. 22:33 minutes published 31 March 2014 by FutureBeefAu.

Meat quality of grain finished, entire, male Bos indicus cattle

As presented at the Northern Beef Research Update Conference 2013, Lee Fitzpatrick (James Cook University) discusses the findings of an Meat & Livestock Australia funded project to evaluate carcass yield and quality, and consumer eating quality of young short-scrotum and entire male Bos indicus cattle. Lee discusses the project’s protocols, data and findings. 26:43 minutes published 10 March 2014 by FutureBeefAu.

Pasturefed Cattle Assurance System – Update

In this presentation, Lisa Cotter (Cattle Council), Jon Condon (Beef Central) and Geoff Teys (Teys Meats) discuss the Pasturefed Cattle Assurance System (PCAS). Topics include how to gain certification, what it costs and meeting the PCAS standards. Also available are the webinar presentation slides (PDF, 1.6MB). 58:52 minutes published 3 July 2014 by FutureBeefAu.

Pasturefed Cattle Assurance System – What’s involved?

Producers across Australia have shown considerable interest in the new Pasturefed Cattle Assurance System (PCAS) since it was launched recently. Premiums of 10 to 20 c/kg have already been discussed by early-adopter processors. In this webinar you will learn about:

the purpose of the PCAS program and what it covers
what’s involved in becoming Certified Pasturefed
understanding the annual audit process
allowable feed inputs, cattle purchases.

Hear from PCAS program coordinator Angela Schuster and Teys Australia Livestock General manager Geoff Teys, with hosts Jon Condon (Beef Central) and John James (FutureBeef). They outline the purposes of the PCAS program; why it was introduced by Cattle Council of Australia; the audit process and what’s involved in compliance; the ‘ins and outs’ of allowable feedstuffs under a pasture fed standard; allowable cattle movements from non-PCAS properties and other information of value to stakeholders considering joining the program. Join our presenters as they discuss these topics in this webinar recording. For your convenience, here are the webinar presentation slides (PDF, 384KB). 51:43 minutes published 6 July 2013 by FutureBeefAu.

The global beef market – how to make a difference

As presented at the Northern Beef Research Update Conference 2013, Peter Barnard (General Manager – Trade and Economic Services, Meat & Livestock Australia) discusses the trends in global beef markets and “What’s happening…”. Hear Peter discuss the challenges of costs, the pressures of supply on prices, developed and developing markets, the demands from Asia, and much more. 30:27 minutes published 31 March 2014 by FutureBeefAu.

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Topics	Articles and factsheets Domestic markets Market decision-making