Sustainability and advances in ag tech are at the heart of one of the world’s largest beef festivals, which kicks off in regional Queensland on Sunday.
More than 120,000 people are expected at Beef Australia, held every three years in Rockhampton, with more than 500 international visitors registered for the event.
“We want people to come along and get familiar with the beef industry … so they can have a look at the cattle and see where it comes from,” Beef Australia’s Simon Irwin said.
Cattle judging kicks off the week of activities in the Australian “beef capital”.
The youngest of four children, Logan Fahey of Bizzy Brahmans is among those showing cattle for the first time at Beef 2024.
“You don’t need to be from a farming background to enjoy what is on offer,” Mr Irwin said.
“People keep coming back cause it’s every three years, things change so quickly, that every time you come back to ‘Beef’, it’s virtually a new event,” Mr Irwin told AAP.
Meanwhile tech talks from industry experts will include how producers can reduce methane emissions from their herds.
Australia’s national science agency CSIRO released a report on Thursday that showed greenhouse gas emissions from the red meat industry, which are mainly a result of methane, had reduced by 78 per cent since 2005.
But direct emissions from the sector had only come down by around ten per cent.
CSIRO is among the 600 exhibitors at the event, with scientists to show off their latest research on methane mitigation strategies.
“It’s one of the largest beef conferences in the world, it’s relevant to Australia because we have such a diverse beef industry,” CSIRO’s Stuart Denman said.
“Reducing direct methane emissions from cattle in places like Northern Australia still remains a challenge for producers,” Dr Denman said.
Another exhibitor LiveCorp, the research and development body for Australia’s livestock export industry, will show off the latest training tool for abattoir workers.
The virtual reality headset will be available soon in Indonesia and Vietnam, as part of animal welfare training.
The headset and hand-held controls provide an interactive and virtual environment for abattoir staff to learn techniques on how to stun cattle before training with a live animal.
LiveCorp boss Wayne Collier said the presence of Australian exporters in Indonesia and Vietnam has meant progress on animal welfare.
“One of the outcomes is the significant use of pre-slaughter stunning, as well as improved animal handling and slaughter practices generally,” Mr Collier said.
Accommodation is booked out in the regional town of Rockhampton for the week-long event.
“Maybe a new hotel would be a good idea,” Mr Irwin suggested.