Transfer of BREEDPLAN technology to the Queensland beef industry

Summary

As a resut of the efforts to date, there has been an increase in the number of herds enrolled in BREEDPLAN from 55 to 245. This now represents 19% of all studs in Queensland with 30 or more breeders. Of the major tropical breeds of cattle in Queensland, the Brahman and Belmont Red breeds now have GROUP BREEDPLAN analyses being conducted each year, while the Santa Gertrudis breed will have its initial group analysis done in 1995 and the Droughtmaster breed is actively working towards establishing a group analysis.

Over the life of the project, there has been a marked increase in the number of producers' using objective measurements in their bull buying decisions. A recent survey indicates that in excess of 30% of producers are using objective information in relation to growth rate, with slightly less than 30% using objective information in their decision making in relation to carcase and fertility traits. The achievements to date have helped position the industry for the next major step in the use of objective selection procedures in the beef industry. This step will involve the development of value based marketing systems which will enable finishers, both feedlot and grassfed, to adequately assess the potential of cattle entering their systems to produce carcases Which will meet specific market requirements.

Such systems will then be able to feed back through the production chain so that commercial cattle breeders will receive feedback on the type of cattle they need to produce to go into finishing operations and eventually stud breeders will receive feedback on the type of bulls they need to be producing for sale. This feedback will be based on objective information at all stages. The expertise developed in the Queensland Department of Primary Industries through this project will enable staff to offer a range of services to client groups at all stages of the production chain to assist in the development of these feedback systems and the development of objectively based breeding systems to meet market requirements.