Te Mania beef workshop a hit

By Ian Whiting, Hamilton Spectator  Saturday, September 22, 2012

The Team Te Mania two-day mix of a major workshop “Beefing up your Production” and on-proprty field days held at Hamilton was a hit with beef producers.

Around 75 Team Te Mania members and beef producers attended day one oat the Comfort Inn Grangeburn to hear guest speaker, associate professor, Wayne Pitchford, discuss the latest finding from Beef CRC maternal productivity trials from the University of Adelaide.

He was followed by Wayne Upton who addressed the workshop on Beef Supply Chain Optimism, then Tom Gubbins of Te Mania Angus spoke on the art of using science to choose your bull.

Fourth speaker was Dr David Beggs, Veterinarian and lecturer at the University of Melbourne who discussed looking after your bulls to achieve reproductive success.

Finally Hamish Browning, GM of Elders International Trading talked about the global market for beef producers.  Day one ended with a dinner for workshop participants.

On Wednesday or day two of the event there were two excellent field day tours starting at Ardgartan Pastoral Company, Grassdale.  Long-term Team Te Mania member Harry Youngman of Ardgartan, together with Agronomist Robby Zeissig gave an excellent presentation on Pulsing Pasture Production and grazing management at Ardgartan.  The presentation inlcuded a farm tour to look at pastures.

The tour then moved to Wave Hills, Tahara West, for the afternoon session where visitors were able to see progeny groups of cattle including progeny of Te Mania Emperor who sold for $91,000.  Ian Robertson discussed maximising results from joining strategies and AI specialist, David Plant of Southern Cross Genetics spoke on maximising conception rates from Fixed Tim AI technology.

Team Te Mania co-principal Hamish McFarlane said it was a fantastic couople of days that focussed on genetics, breeding and reproduction.  “We had 75 participants, which included 15 from New South Wales and five from South Austrlaia and the rest were from all parts of Victoria, ” he said.  “Day two ws out of the classroom if you like, onto the farm and Harry Youngman is very strong on pasture production and his agronomist Robby Zeissig gave an excellent persentation on pasture strategies and grazing management at Ardgartan.

Then the tour moved to Ian and Pam Robertson’s wehre we focussed on genetics and cattle production.  “All the producers who attended really appreciated the variety of the two days and there was something they could take home or something to suit their operation which was really good”.

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