Beefing up on-farm profit at Nannup livestock forum

About 150 people braved the weather last week at Nannup to hear how to better use data to make improved on-farm decisions and increase kilos of beef produced per hectare for greater profits.

The WA Livestock Research Council Livestock Matters Forum at the Camarri family farm at Nannup was an opportunity for beef producers to hear how collected, analysed and applied data, such as conception patterns, weaning and joining weights to breeding operations, helped make decisions that best matched farm pasture production, markets and increased the bottom line.

The importance of prioritising quality over quantity with silage production was also discussed, as well as how revisiting legumes could reduce the industry’s reliance on synthetic nitrogen.

WALRC executive officer Esther Price said the organisation was pleased with the turnout and the feedback that “people really are prepared to review decision-making factors around time of calving and herd composition”.

“The day reinforced the message that WALRC has passed on to Meat and Livestock Australia — in that there is strong justification for modelling work to be undertaken to help producers make time of calving decisions that works for their farm business,” Ms Price said.

Beef producer Matt Camarri said during the form that the kilograms of beef produced per hectare at his family’s operation drove profit, which was a measure underpinned by the stocking rate.

He shared the analysis that informed the decision to move from an F1 operation to straight beef production to boost the stocking rate and make the most of homegrown feed, while lifting the gross margin.

“A breakeven analysis of changing from a February calving F1 herd to an April (calving) beef herd found an 11 per cent high stocking rate for the beef herd is the same gross margin as the F1 system using unmated heifers as replacements,” Mr Camarri said.

“And a 4 per cent higher stocking rate for the beef herd is the same gross margin as the F1 system when purchasing replacement heifers.”

This was a major business change, along with moving the calving date back for 75 per cent of the herd, something he initially thought would result in reduced weaning weights, which proved incorrect.

Using data, Mr Camarri demonstrated how the average steer weaning weight of the April-May calved group was 346kg across six years — the May-June group average was 345kg across four years.

NSW beef producer James Crawford, Galimbang Beef, said his profit is underpinned by maximising the kilos of beef produced per hectare and to do this he used data to model weight gain scenarios and pregnancy outcomes.

He said by scanning and ageing embryos pre-joining he could then use that data as evidence of potential pregnancies or — if there’s less pregnancies than expected — the basis to investigate problems with bulls.

Mr Crawford said he also used carcase feedback from the feedlot to inform breeding decisions.

“I don’t need to chase IMF (intramuscular fat) if I already have more marbling than I need,” Mr Crawford said.

“It then broadens the potential bulls ( I can use) and gives me room to focus on other traits such as growth.”