AgForce Cattle president Grant Maudsley said a drawcard of the stock handling field day and open cattle forum hosted by AgForce and livestock equipment company Prattley was a presentation by Dr Temple Grandin, Professor in Animal Science at Colorado State University.

“Dr Grandin is an expert on designing livestock handling facilities, and she gave a hands-on demonstration of practical ways producers can improve animal welfare and reduce stress in stock – and as a result the stress levels of workers – during yard work,” he said.

“Producers’ commitment to animal welfare is based on the need for a high level of occupational health and safety standards and their desire to improve eating quality and management of stock.

"Investment in yard design and automatic handling technology shows that as an industry we are highly advanced and innovative.

“The Secombe family, who hosted the field day at their property Kenya, are an example of producers who have demonstrated their commitment to improving welfare and as a consequence beef quality through significant investment in infrastructure such as their excellent yard design which allows for stress-free handling of cattle.

“Other producers also confirmed their own readiness to improve management by embracing new techniques and technology such as electronic drafting, weighing and handling systems.”

Understanding the market was another key focus of the field day, with David Thomason from Meat and Livestock Australia and Mark Inglis of Meat Standards Australia explaining how producers can adapt to changing consumer demands.

Mr Maudsley said the AgForce Cattle open forum, which followed the field day, was an opportunity for participants to have their concerns heard, and to learn how involvement in AgForce is crucial to ensure industry’s needs are met through government decisions and service from companies such as MLA.

“The CPRS, rail access, leasehold land management and rent, animal welfare, tick management and AgForce’s lobbying for improvements to be made to NLIS were also on the table at the forum,” Mr Maudsley said.

The AgForce Cattle board is meeting in Longreach today, with key issues including how industry can participate in carbon sequestration to meet Australian and global carbon reduction targets through reforestation, rangeland management, and environmentally-focused stock handling.