ON FARM SOUTHERN CATTLE “We’ve tried to eliminate SNAPSHOT: some of this risk with Stuart and Isabel Tait, forward contracts, but we’ve really struggled to find John and Joanna Tait, them. Forward contracts Mandurama, NSW are something I’d like to l see more of, from a risk management point of view.” Sharing the true story of beef production Stuart is a passionate advocate for the beef Isabel, Henry and Stuart Tait. industry, with representative roles with the NSW grazing crops, they’re Market uncertainty Grasslands Society and Area: effectively ‘stacking’ their An excellent start to the the Grasslands Society of 2,000ha enterprises. season this year reinforced Southern Australia. the Taits’ decision to intensify He’s also shared his family’s Enterprise: Stuart said he now has a Cropping and cattle better understanding of what production and they’ve beef production story as part constitutes an acceptable capitalised on the seasonal of MLA’s Good Meat initiative Livestock: return on assets. opportunity to purchase steers, to educate the community 550 Angus breeders and despite record‑high prices. about animal welfare, 700–1,350 trade steers The Taits conduct environmental sustainability, internal and external “We’ve spent a lot of money Pasture: on buying cattle and with that health and nutrition. benchmarking to Phalaris, sub‑clover, understand the profitability comes greater risk – there He believes it’s important for cocksfoot, tall fescue, Italian of their enterprises and to are also market uncertainties producers to tell their story ryegrass and dual‑purpose identify opportunities to with coronavirus and so on,” firsthand, to demonstrate grazing crops, summer improve overall business Stuart said. their commitment to best hybrid forages performance. “But we thought – here’s an practice and continual opportunity, let’s go hard.” improvement. Soil: This has resulted in Red basalt clays and refocusing their cattle Against the backdrop of “The squeaky wheel gets alluvial loams enterprise. When they COVID‑19, global politics, the oil, and there are a realised beef breeding drought recovery and lot of squeaky wheels Rainfall: was their least profitable restocking, Stuart said he’s saying things about the 750–800mm enterprise, they intensified given up guessing what the red meat industry which their focus on trade cattle. market will do. aren’t positive. Below: The Tait family have Breeding still has its place “There are a lot of great intensified their focus on trade cattle. “The beef market has, in our businesses which have in the Taits’ business, to opinion, never been harder utilise some hilly country to track or predict. something to offer by which isn’t well suited to opening up and showing running trade steers. The “There have never been others what they’re doing – breeding enterprise also this many variables pulling as an industry, we need to provides stability from a the market in so many share our stories and get the risk perspective. different directions. truth across.” ■ 2255