Newsletter for the week ending 18 November 2005

Japanese Prices Up

Prices for beef exported to Japan have started to move higher following several weeks of resistance by Japanese wholesalers. This may be partly due to the likelihood of further delays to the re-entry of US Beef into Japan. According to Drover's Magazine the Japanese have not taken kindly to the threats by the US Senate to impose heavy tariffs on imported goods from Japan and some American officials believe the Japanese delay tactics will continue for several months.

Koreans Wary

During September, a survey of 600 Korean consumers revealed that 83.9 per cent thought US beef with specified risk materials such as spinal cords removed was not safe while 12% were unsure and 4% thought the beef was safe.  As we 73% would not buy US beef and 20.8% would consume less beef.

Brazil Exports Crash

As a result of recent foot and mouth disease outbreaks, Brazilian beef exports during October plummeted 23% on September levels and 18% on year ago levels, to 71,900 tonnes.

Hobart Royal

A pair of Limousin X Shorthorn Steers exhibited by Kim Hassell were Champion and Reserve Champion at the Hobart Royal  Led Steer Competition.

The steers were sold by auction. The Champion weighing 398 kg made 280 c/kg or $1,114 and the Reserve weighing 43 kg made 268 c/kg or $1,168.

In the hook section the Champion was another Limousin X Shorthorn exhibited by the Bissett family of Scottsdale.

Hobart Steer Success

Senior and Grand Champion Female at Hobart Royal Show was Premier Pin Up exhibited by Bralco Limousin Stud. This cow went on to be awarded the Interbreed Senior Female and Supreme Female of the show.

Reserve Senior Limousin Female was Lintwood Polled Exotic.

Champion Female was Badger View Zana Junior sired by DEVT Polled Deon and Reserve Champion was Badger View Zena sired by Premier Buribi S35.

Senior Bull was Kaleena Park Yabba Dabba Doo exhibited by Badger View Limousin and sired by Wulfs Guardian.

Reserve was Waterford in Your Dreams and Waterford Back in the Black won Junior and Grand Bull.

White Lakes Zed Wins Ballarat

White Lakes Zed 033 owned by Brian and Karalyn Keirl of Paramount Limousins continued his show career with a big win at the Ballarat (Vic) Show. After being selected the Grand Champion Limousin Bull he went on to take out the All Breeds Championship at the show.

Australians told to eat more kangaroo (from Drovers Journal)

Australia’s kangaroo industry has launched a five-year plan to increase kangaroo consumption. Plans include publishing kangaroo recipe books and developing new products such as kangaroo burgers and kangaroo sausages. Restaurant chefs will be encouraged to use more kangaroo meat; doctors and dieticians will be reminded of its health benefits and low fat levels. According to Australian farmers, the kangaroo population has exploded since white settlement 200 years ago because of the increased availability of water in reservoirs.

If you’re planning to jump into the kangaroo business, you might want to ask a few questions. For instance, does kangaroo meat contain marbling? Or, what type of EPDs are available for kangaroos? Maternal jumping ability? Finally, if your cowboys like a little sport on weekends, find out if they’re up to the challenge of team roping a kangaroo. — G.H.

I am not sure of their sources but is rare for Australian news to make the press in the USA Alex McD

Top Prices for Willmott Calves

Colin and Pam Willmott who trade as Tarraleaha Pastoral Co at Glen Alvie in Victoria had an excellent sale of 13 Limousin X vealers over the hooks to Radford Meats.

Seven steer vealers averaged 220 kg carcase weight to return $935 and six heifer vealers weighing 197 kg made $836. Radfords paid the same per kg price for the heifers as the steers.

Looking for a Christmas Present

Long time Western Limousin breeder Brian Dibble has just published a book of bush sayings with the University of Western Australia Press.

Called Marking the Land: A Collection of Australian Bush Wisdom and Humour, it is a hardback book of 98 pages which includes several hundred sayings accompanied on almost every page by Richard Woldendorp's photographs – Woldendorp is Western Australia's best landscape photographer whose Wool: the Australian Story  was short listed for the 2002 WA Premier's Book Awards.

The sayings were winnowed from several thousand sayings discovered in a wide range of sources, including newspapers, dictionaries and advertisements, essays, poetry and fiction, as well as colleagues, friends from the Rural Press some years ago, and also a number from ALBS members and commercial breeders of Limousin cattle. They are not of the She'll be right sort, but rathe are generally more lyric and/or provocative, like 'The brand of the world bites deep' or 'A rooster today, a feather duster tomorrow…'

They would make excellent Christmas presents for country people to give or to receive. Limousin members can see the cover photographs and read more about the book on www.uwapress.uwa.edu.au.

Marking the Land is normally available in hardback for $29.95 but Limousin members who identify themselves as such before 20 December to UWA sales Manager Janice Brown will be given a 15% discount. She can be reached on jbrown@uwapress.uwa.edu.au.

Warragul Tops

1 Limousin X steer vealer          360 kg @ 245 c/kg = $884.

            Acc K Gour  Neerim South

1 Limousin X steer vealer          365 kg @ 229.2 c/kg = $836

            Acc B Copelin Warragul

1 Limousin X Steer Vealer        350 kg @ 228.6 c/kg = $800

            Acc S Conway Taralgon

1 Limousin Cow                       615 kg @ 763.6 c/kg = $1,006

            Acc W Barnett Thorpdale        

1 Limousin Cow                       755 kg @ 154 c/kg = $1,162

            Acc J Strammers Neerim East

Breedplan Cut Off Dates

As notified by Maria Butler all performance data submitted by paper must be in by Friday 2 December 2005. Data submitted electronically from a herd recording system can be submitted until 9 December 2005. Make sure your calves are registered or recorded before performance data is submitted.

There will not be a Newsletter next week as I will be on leave.

Yours in Limousin

Alex McDonald