This year's Australian Meat Processor Corporation (AMPC) National Beef Carcase competition was a successful one for WA producers when the results were announced last week at Beef2024 at Rockhampton, Queensland.
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Eight producers and feedlots from across WA entered quality cattle into this year's competition and five of them were successful in claiming ribbons across the various classes.
The most successful of WA's entrants was regular exhibitor, the Campbell family, AS & M Campbell & Son, Cooara Angus and Charolais studs, Keysbrook, which claimed the reserve champion pen award.
The Campbells, had the most entries in the competition from WA, with groups in the two pasture fed classes, which were all processed at V&V Walsh.
Winning the reserve champion pen ribbon for the Campbells were three steers that finished on 283.48 points out of a possible 306 points in class one, which was for pasture fed pen of three medium trade chiller steers or heifers 200 to 280 kilograms hot scored carcase weight (HSCW).
The March 2023-drop Charolais-Angus cross steers won the class ahead of 20 other entries.
The three steers had HSCWs of 244.1kg, 256.1kg and 243.7kg, along with MSA indexes of 64.53, 64.03 and 65.18 respectively, which helped them score a combined 150.14 out of 165.
In the market specifications section, the three carcases scored a combined 30 out of 30 with rib fats of 7mm each and P8 fats of 6mm, 8mm and 8mm.
When it came to the lean meat yield section, the three carcases combined achieved a score of 99.33 out of 105.
They scanned 65cm2, 74cm2 and 69cm2 for eye muscle area (EMA) and had lean meat yield (LMY) measurements of 58.07, 58.99 and 58.74.
Individually out of 100 the three carcases scored 92.82, 92.95 and 93.7 and also achieved a bonus score of four out of six.
Bonus points are awarded to each pen of three carcases which have a minimum variation for carcase weight, lean meat yield and eating quality.
Bruce Campbell said the three steers were by homebred Charolais sires, by LT Authority and out of Angus cows and were processed at V&V Walsh on December 28.
"I picked those three steers because they were very even," Mr Campbell said.
"They were very close in liveweight and type when I was choosing them and they were also even in their muscling and fat scores.
Along with winning the reserve champion pen award, the Campbell family had another four teams of steers in class one.
One of these, comprising three March 2023-drop Angus steers placed third in the class, missing out by 0.01 of a point for second place.
Two of the steers in the team were by home-bred sires, while one of them was an AI calf by GAR Drive.
The steers HSCW ranged from 227.3kg to 250.3kg and were processed at V&V Walsh on January 3.
Both of the Campbells ribbon winning pens were purchased by Woolworths.
Mr Campbell said he liked the opportunity to compete in the carcase competition, and thought it was a great benchmarking and learning experience.
"It's all done by eye, your own judgement, you've got scales too, but there's a real art in trying to get the right animal to fit the window for fat scores," he said.
"I pull them from all different mobs on the farm and put them together probably about a month or so before and walk around and be part of them.
"There's a lot in it with MSA, we've got docility and keeping the animals secure so they get to trust you.
"I make sure I truck them down myself so there's less people involved.
"It means a lot in the end because if anything upsets them they can sort of fail with stress and whatnot and become dark cutters."
Harvest Road Group was also well represented, with four steer entries and one heifer pen entry across two classes.
The company's best result was first place in class eight (open class, unrestricted feeding, pen of three heavy export chiller steers or heifers 360kg plus), with three first-cross Waygu steers, which beat 26 other entries in the class.
The steers, which were sired by Irongate Wagyu bulls, were bred by the Galati family, Galati Family Trust, Brunswick, and fed at Kylagh feedlot, Tammin for a Harvey Beef branded product destined for high end domestic and international customers.
The entry finished with a score of 281.89 out of 306 points after the three carcases individually scored 93.38, 92.89 and 93.62 points.
The three carcases had HSCWs of 364kg, 388kg and 383.5kg to go with MSA indexes of 68.09, 67.31 and 52.51, while their rib fats ranged between nine to 10mm and their P8 fats from 15 to 20mm.
They had EMAs of 84cm2, 89cm2 and 95cm2.
Harvest Road Group also placed fourth in class eight with three Droughtmaster-Wagyu steers, which were bred at Minilya station and fed at the group's Koojan Downs feeding facility near Moora.
Harvest Road Group also collected a fifth-place ribbon in class six (grainfed, pen of three export chiller bullocks 300-420kg) which attracted 70 entries.
The three Angus steers were finished at Koojan Downs feeding facility and processed for the Harvey Beef Reserve branded 100-day Grain Fed range.
Harvest Road livestock manager Jonathon Green said it was great to see so many WA beef producers represented in the competition and it was also good to see Harvey Beef and V&V Walsh recognised for their participation in the AMPC Beef Australia carcase competition.
"The class 8 win was recognition of many years of genetic investments for WA cattle producers the Galati Family Trust and Harvest Road looks forward to continuing to develop our relationships with WA cattle producers," Mr Green said.
Along with being involved in the Harvest Road Group's success, previous champion winners from the 2021 competition, the Galati family, also won a few ribbons of their own.
The family had success in three classes after entering four Limousin-Angus cross entries that were sired by Lysgorran Limousin bulls and dropped in early 2023 (January to April).
The Galati family's best result was in class four (grainfed, pen of three medium trade chiller steers or heifers 200-280kg) which attracted 14 entries.
In this class they finished second on 274.21 points.
The three carcases individually scored 89.15, 91.17 and 90.89 points out of a possible 100 and the entry received a three point bonus.
The three carcases had HSCWs of 263kg, 264.7kg and 260.8kg to go with MSA indexes of 60.68, 62.14 and 60.81, while their rib fats ranged between five to seven millimetres and their P8 fats from six to 10mm.
They had EMAs of 63cm2, 73cm2 and 74cm2.
Their placings included sixth in class five (grainfed, pen of three heavy trade chiller steers or heifers 280.1-360kg which attracted 26 entries), with three steers that finished on 269.64 points and sixth in class six (grainfed, pen of three export chiller bullocks 300-420kg), with a steer group that scored 276.77 points.
Rodney Galati said the bodies were killed at V&V Walsh on two occasions, October 20, 2023 and February 23, 2024, and were purchased by Ryan's Quality Meats, Jandakot and Davenport.
"We have had a lot of success with Limousin-Angus cross cattle and like the cross," Mr Galati said.
"The heavier cattle were fed for 150 days, while the lighter cattle spent around 100-120 days on grain."
Returning competitors, the Bendotti family, G & B Bendotti, Pemberton, joined the WA winners circle again in their third time entering the competition.
The Pemberton-based producer's milk-fed Angus calves represented three entries in the first class and one in the second class, taking home a fifth place ribbon in class one.
The three Angus steers achieved a group score of 275.65, winning by 0.29 of a point.
The team has HSCWs of 250.4kg, 243.4kg and 237.8kg, to go with MSA indexes of 51.68, 51.47 and 49.24, while its rib fats ranged between seven to 12mm and its P8 fats from nine to 11mm.
They had EMAs of 72cm2, 67cm2 and 75cm2.
The early February 2023-drop calves averaged 243kg and were sired by Lawsons and Little Meadows bred sons of Lawsons Momentus M518.
John Bendotti said he was very happy to receive a place in the first class.
He said it was pleasing to be in the top one per cent of beef producers for MSA index and the competition's overall MSA index average was 24pc stronger than three years ago.
First-time entrants the Ryan family, Central Stockcare, Bullsbrook, also took home a ribbon from the competition.
Central Stockcare was the only WA representative to place in class seven (open class, unrestricted feeding, pen of three heavy trade chiller steers or heifers 260.1-360kg) which attracted 18 entries.
It finished sixth in the class with three May 2023-drop steers which were sired by Charolais bulls from Venturon Livestock, Boyup Brook and Liberty Charolais, Toodyay and out of commercial Santa Gertrudis-Droughtmaster cows.
The team finished on 266.43 points with HSCWs of 332kg, 319.5kg and 319.5kg to go with MSA indexes of 60.39, 61.49 and 62.65, while its rib fats ranged between seven to eight millimetres and their P8 fats from 10 to 15mm.
They had EMAs of 80cm2, 70cm2 and 75cm2.
The steers had been fed for 120 days before being processed at Harvey Beef on February 19.
Taking home the champion pen ribbon by just 2.58 points from the Campbell family's reserve champion pen was Yambinya Station, Burrabol, New South Wales.
The champion pen scored 286.06 points in class six.
The three carcases, which were processed at JBS, Scone, NSW, had HSCWs of 386kg, 380kg and 382kg to go with MSA indexes of 69.74, 70.22 and 66.83, fats of six to eight millimetres and nine to 11mm P8 fats, while EMAs measured 80cm2, 93cm2 and 89cm2 and LMY was 55.97, 55.90 and 56.13.
Yambinya Station is a 2833 hectare property that grows silage, backgrounds cattle, and is run as part of JBS Australia's Yambinya feedlot near Burraboi, New South Wales.
"Yambinya Station is a boutique yard that is antibiotics free, HGP free, and GMO free, so it's the only natural feedlot in Australia and has the capacity of 12,500 head," JBS livestock manager Steve Chapman said.
The winning pen were fed at Yambinya, under JBS's Portoro natural grain program.
Launched last year, it has seen rapid growth, and now handles approximately 600 carcases weekly.
The bullocks were fed for 130 days on a predominantly barley-based ration.
The champion carcase ribbon was won by Darren Hamblin, Poll Wagyu, Middlemount, Queensland.
The winning Wagyu entry from class eight scored 97.78 points out of 100 which is the highest carcase score ever recorded in the competition.
The steer had a 391kg HSCW, 115cm2 EMA, 11mm P8 fat, 12mm rib fat and a MSA index of 72.37.
The reserve champion carcase ribbon went to Sunland Cattle Co, Duaringa, Queensland.
Its entry also from class eight scored 96.45 points.
Sunland Cattle Co also won the two MSA Index awards.
A pen of three long-fed fullblood Wagyu heavy export chiller steers from Sunland Cattle Co entered in class eight won the award for the highest total MSA Indexes.
One of the three steers in the pen was also awarded the individual carcase MSA index trophy, with an impressive MSA index score of 72.58.
Competition organisers have announced they will conduct a full review of all competition results upon the completion of Beef2024 after inconsistencies with the data were found.
Farm Weekly will report on any changes to the results when they are released.
