CQU takes centre stage at Beef 2021
CQUniversity took centre stage at Beef 2021' hosting a number of activities from symposiums to property tours and a high-tech hands-on stall at the Trade Fair.
Beef Australia is held every three years in Rockhampton and is the biggest event of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. It is the industry's major opportunity to bring producers' processors' services providers' researchers' educators' restaurants and customers together.
CQUniversity kicked-off this year's event by hosting the Beef Australia Symposium where Vice-Chancellor Professor Nick Klomp spoke on need for investment in livestock research infrastructure in order to take the Northern Australian industry to the next level' while keeping the best and brightest minds working in the regions.
CQUniversity academic agriculture lecturer Dr Jaime Manning presented at the Developing Innovative Beef Leaders of the Future seminar alongside Teys Australia Biloela Plant Manager Ethan Mooney and Tammy Krukow from Tammy Krukow Coaching' who together challenged the audience to think about the skills needed for careers in agriculture and the flexibility required to continue adapting and growing through a career.
The Agriculture Technology team also hosted the Belmont Property Tour on Thursday (May 6) providing participants with insight into how AgTech can be used to develop and support a whole of property management plan.
Guests experienced presentations and demonstrations on the DataMuster walk-over weigh system and its use for NLIS compliance and herd management' they inspected a new paddock scale riparian recovery trial which is measuring productivity and environmental changes on a series of fenced and unfenced paddocks fronting the Fitzroy River and toured the Central Queensland Innovation Research Precinct (CQIRP).
During Beef 2021' Minister for Agriculture' Drought and Emergency Management David Littleproud paid a visit the CQU Trade Fair and awarded the University with a $200'101 traceability grant to improve meat traceability through the existing National Livestock Identification System (NLIS).
The research will look at ways to improve meat traceability' animal welfare and meat quality.
"This research looks at how smart-tags technology can be used in traceability' linking pre-farm gate management with the results obtained at processing.
"It involves a review of how smart-tags can be used to detect disease and management issues' and a case study to inform how this data can be employed for industry.
"While there is a commercial drawback to diseases' given that they ultimately result in carcass downgrades' any incentive to improve the health and welfare of our animals can only be a positive.
"What's even better is that this technology doesn't have to reinvent the wheel.
"We already use sophisticated ear tags in the form of the NLIS' so this research can be used to improve and expand a product that is already in use'" Littleproud said.
During Beef 2021 CQUniversity and AgForce heralded a new era of producer' education and industry engagement' developing a roadmap to revitalise agricultural research and training infrastructure at Belmont Research Station in Central Queensland.
AgForce General President Georgie Somerset and CQUniversity Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Nick Klomp agreed to take the partnership' established in 2014' to the next level by creating an expanded agricultural research and training ecosystem that connects producers' researchers and trainers.
