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  • Building Beef Demand and the CAB Success Story, with Mark McCully from American Angus

    Building Beef Demand and the CAB Success Story, with Mark McCully from American Angus
    2026/03/09
    In this episode of The Angus Table, host Scott Wright sits down with Mark McCully, CEO of the American Angus Association, for a comprehensive conversation about leading one of the world's largest breed organisations. Mark shares insights from managing 22,000 members across five wholly-owned subsidiaries (Association, Certified Angus Beef, Angus Media, Angus Genetics Inc, Foundation), the remarkable success of CAB brand with 27% of US fed cattle qualifying and $50+ premiums per head, the historic shift from 50% select grading to more prime than select today, developing functional longevity and udder EPDs, navigating methane research controversy with transparency, and the power of servant leadership. They discuss some of the similarities and differences between US and Australian industries, the evolution from "where's my premium" to value-based marketing dominance, beef-on-dairy integration, and why keeping independent breeders independent through strong associations matters globally. So pull up a chair at the Angus Table for insights from one of the breed's most accomplished international leaders.Key topics covered:How the American Angus Association evolved from 1883 herd registry to five wholly-owned subsidiaries with 300 staffThe scale of CAB brand: 27% of US fed cattle qualify today, creating $50+ premium per head at packing plantWhy CAB gave producers a target aligned with consumer value rather than producer value perspectivesThe historic shift from 50% select grading (when Mark started) to more prime than select produced todayHow value-based marketing evolution transformed premium signal flow to producersThe development of functional longevity EBV and teat/udder suspension EBVs incorporated into maternal weaning valueThe importance of phenotypic data as genomics foundation "only as good as phenotypic data breeders turn in"How non-traditional data (health traits, BRD, congestive heart failure, fatty acids) requires downstream collaborationWhy beef-on-dairy integration (60% of 9.4M dairy cows bred to Angus) accelerates data capture in integrated systemsThe challenge of staying innovative as breed associations when private companies characterise economically important traitsHow World Angus Evaluation provides a common currency for breeders globally and helps prevent gene pool narrowingWhy strong member-owned associations hedge against integrated systems taking genetic decisions from independent breedersThe methane research controversy: objectives around efficiency in cows on grass, navigating funding source concerns, factual information challenges in social media eraThe importance of servant leadership principles shaped by "The Servant" by James HunterWhy focusing on consumer eating satisfaction rather than cattle producer value perspectives drives sustainable demandPull quotes:"We're comprised of about 22,000 members, register over 300,000 animals annually. We operate with four wholly-owned subsidiaries: Certified Angus Beef, Angus Media, Angus Genetics Inc, and our Foundation. About 300 staff combined, over half work on CAB. That program has been a growth vehicle for the breed." "Today a certified Angus beef carcass is worth $50 more at the packing plant than event its Angus counterpart that doesn't meet specifications. When it gets into Prime, premiums around $200. About 80% of fed cattle are sold on formula or grid-based systems now. Value-based marketing dollars are getting passed along.""When I started at CAB, the question was always 'where's my premium?'... Today 27% of US fed cattle qualify for certified Angus beef—up from zero. We have a higher percentage of cattle grading Prime than we have grading USDA Select. When I entered the business, close to 50% of cattle fed in the States graded Select. Today we produce more Prime than Select. It's almost become a thing of the past. That focus on quality is why we've got all-time record beef demand." "What CAB has done is give producers a target aligned with how consumers assign value to our product, not how cattle producers assign value. Year after year as we grow sales and more cattle hit specifications, we grow demand. As we grow supply, the spread gets bigger." "There's very strong desire of our breeders to not be part of integrated system where breeding and genetic decisions are taken out of their hands or where they don't have access to tools. Strong associations are a hedge to keep that from happening. Anything we can do to strengthen our collaborative work together is very positive.""We weren't entering debate around cows and climate change. We saw it as path to advance research on discovering differences in efficiency of cows on grass. We just don't have much data [on that]. The ability to measure methane as a measure of efficiency had appeal…If we can find cows that produce more with less, that's good for beef industry." Relevant links mentioned in the episode:American Angus Association: www.angus.orgCertified Angus Beef brand: https://...
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    55 分
  • Premium Beef at Scale with Andrew McDonald and Tony Fitzgerald from NH Foods

    Premium Beef at Scale with Andrew McDonald and Tony Fitzgerald from NH Foods
    2026/03/02
    In this episode of The Angus Table, host Scott Wright sits down with Andrew McDonald and Tony Fitzgerald from NH Foods for a comprehensive conversation about building and maintaining premium beef programs at scale. They discuss the remarkable 15 year growth of Angus Reserve brand from 300 head/week to 3,000 head/week, the measurable genetic improvement delivering 10% increase in feeding performance, navigating China market volatility with 55% tariffs forcing strategic program adjustments, the protein trend driving retail growth globally, and why Australia must compete at the premium end against low-cost producers. Tony shares insights on cattle quality improvements, vaccination programs reducing BRD from 60% to 15-20% of death loss, and the importance of consistency. Andrew explains secondary cut value growth, the shift from 2+ to 4+ and 5+ marbling programs, and diversification across 40-45 countries. So pull up a chair at the Angus Table for insights from one of Australia's largest Angus beef operations.Key topics covered:How NH Foods established itself in Australia from late 1970s with integrated farming, feedlotting, and processing operationsThe growth of Whyalla Feedlot to 78,000 head current capacity, with recent and planned expansionsThe evolution of the Angus Reserve brand from 300-400 head/week in 2010 to 3,000 head/week today across 40-45 countriesThe measurable genetic improvement over the last 8 years that has delivered 10% increase in feeding performanceHow consistency within Angus pens compares dramatically to crossbred variationWhy average induction weight increased from 405-410kg (2019 drought) to 455kg with better seasonsThe results of vaccination programs (BRD reduced from 60% to 15-20% death loss) and the shift from 2+ to 4+ and 5+ marbling programsThe challenges of the China market, including 55% tariffs and a quota system forcing five months supply vs year-round, meaning uncertainty for long-fed programsSupporting voluntary quota system in order to prevent South American grain-fed gaining Australian shelf spaceThe importance of diversification to hedge against single market dependence in volatile global politicsHow secondary cut value growth saved the processing sector (beef cheeks doubling, tails over $20/kg, short rib bone-in $50/kg) The protein trend driving retail growth globally, with consumers cooking premium steaks at home and beef snacks like jerky an opportunity for those who don’t cookThe challenge of oversized cuts having weight variations affecting container capacity and box specificationsHow third-party verification through Angus Australia provides integrity and retailer governance confidenceThe success of Whyalla’s graduate program: three grads annually, DISC profiling, structured six-month rotations building team depthWhy Australia must compete at the premium end against low-cost producers with the best 5% of global herd targeting best 2-4% of consumersPull quotes:"We're processing around 3,000 head a week of Black Angus cattle, predominantly packed under Angus Reserve brand….What started as 300-400 head a week is now closer to 3,000." - Andrew McDonald "I can prove mathematically on paper year-on-year improvement in feeding KPIs. Over eight years we've seen upwards of 10% increase in feeding performance purely on weight gain variability within cattle …That's why I'm such a big fan of the Angus breed." - Tony Fitzgerald"We started the program as 2+ to capture that market, but around six years ago we brought in a 4+ program because there were just so many cattle outperforming over that grade. Then for China HGP-free we're doing 5+ programs. We've really seen those outcomes continue to improve." - Andrew McDonald"Secondary cuts are probably what saved the Australian processing industry. [They] absorbed enormous cost increases with power, water, labour over last five years. I still look at amazement when I see beef feet going through the abattoir.” - Tony Fitzgerald"The big buzzword around the world is protein. Every healthy diet headlines starts with protein. We've gone from fats being the devil to ultra-processed food being that item. [Consumers since COVID] are trading down from restaurant experiences…cooking better quality steaks at home. Retail is going gangbusters globally." - Andrew McDonald"Keep doing what you're doing. At any given time beef industries are always under some economic pressure from Brazil, from everywhere. We need to be better all the time. Everything we can do to be a winner needs to be done. It starts with guys and girls making decisions selecting which bulls go with which cows." - Tony Fitzgerald“Australia's never going to be lowest cost denominator supplying to customers. The danger is drifting into cross hairs with Brazil on quality-price matrix. What can Australia do better than everyone else? Angus Reserve and those programs give us the edge... We want to be fighting at the premium end of town. We want to find the best 2-4% ...
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    1 時間
  • Canadian Angus Innovation and Market Dynamics with Myles Immerker

    Canadian Angus Innovation and Market Dynamics with Myles Immerker
    2026/02/23

    In this episode of The Angus Table, host Scott Wright sits down with Myles Immerker, CEO of the Canadian Angus Association, for a fascinating conversation about leading innovation in one of the world's most challenging cattle breeding environments.

    Myles shares insights from managing 3,000 primary members across Canada's vast geography (70% black, 30% red), the remarkable spring bull market up over 50% from last year, pioneering AI camera technology being developed with Holstein Canada to objectively score structural traits, the evolution of their green tag commercial program, and adapting to extreme temperatures from -40°C to +30°C.

    They discuss digital transformation and shifting to weekly genetic evaluations (replacing monthly runs), China market reopening after five years, and why phenotype and structural soundness remain paramount in Canadian breeding programs.

    So pull up a chair at the Angus Table for insights from one of Australia's closest international breeding partners.
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    49 分
  • Angus GenetiQ: The next evolution in Angus Genetics

    Angus GenetiQ: The next evolution in Angus Genetics
    2026/02/16

    In this episode of The Angus Table, we are sharing a recording of a special member webinar where we introduced Angus GenetiQ. Angus GenetiQ is the society’s new in-house genetic evaluation system. In this episode, President Sinclair Clark Monro begins by emphasising Angus Australia's commitment to member-focused genetic improvement tools, and CEO Scott Wright explains the strategic reasoning behind developing in-house capability.

    Next, COO Carel Teseling delivers a comprehensive technical presentation comparing Angus GenetiQ with TACE, covering important differences in methodology, genetic trend comparisons across all traits, and EBV correlations. The webinar clarifies that Angus Australia has not decided to move away from Breedplan—both evaluations will be publicly displayed as the society takes members on this journey.


    Pull up a chair at the Angus Table, this is essential listening for any Angus breeder wanting to understand the technical foundations and strategic direction of genetic evaluation at Angus Australia.

    Key topics covered:

    1. Why Angus Australia developed Angus GenetiQ: risk mitigation, efficiency, innovation speed, and controlling destiny
    2. How in-house capability enables quicker response to member needs and industry priorities
    3. The strategic decision to display both TACE and Angus GenetiQ results during consultation period
    4. Important technical differences between TACE and Angus GenetiQ evaluations
    5. Why Angus GenetiQ uses only Australian registered animals (excludes New Zealand data from TACE)
    6. Genetic trend comparisons showing strong alignment between TACE and Angus GenetiQ for most traits
    7. EBV correlation analysis demonstrating 70-96% correlation across traits for top 1,500 bulls
    8. The decision to combine rib and rump fat into single carcass fat EBV (reducing trait complexity)
    9. Why IMF is being replaced by MSA Marble Score (easier to collect, more phenotypes available)
    10. The plan to develop yield EBV using primal cuts rather than retail beef yield
    11. How maternal value in Angus GenetiQ includes both milk and maternal care (not split like TACE)
    12. Future trait releases including calving ease EBVs and structural trait evaluation
    13. The exploration of desired gains indexes versus traditional economic value indexes
    14. How Angus GenetiQ will support commercial programs like HeiferSELECT and SteerSELECT
    15. The role of scanning data in informing correlated carcass traits through genetic correlations

    Pull quotes:

    "Angus GenetiQ has been over four years of development across three different presidents, two CEOs, and many boardroom discussions and lots of strategic thinking…Genetic evaluation is very core to what we do. [It's] been controlled by entities outside Angus Australia. The thinking behind Angus...
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    54 分
  • Building the Angus Brand Globally, with Tim Brittain

    Building the Angus Brand Globally, with Tim Brittain
    2026/02/09

    Summary of the episode:

    In this episode of The Angus Table, host Scott Wright sits down with Tim Brittain from New Zealand for a wide-ranging conversation about global Angus leadership, brand building, and consumer focus.

    Tim shares his remarkable journey from growing up in Auckland with no farming background to establishing Storth Oaks Angus, serving as Secretary General of the World Angus Secretariat for eight years, founding and chairing Angus Pure (New Zealand's first large-scale Angus beef brand), instigating Angus Pro and navigating the transition to Angus Australia registration, and becoming Reserve Grand Champion in BBQ competition.

    They discuss why Angus is a brand that must be protected, the importance of never losing sight of the consumer, managing the World Angus Secretariat through COVID, and Sir Keith Holyoake's wisdom: "Live as though you'll die tomorrow, but farm as though you'll live forever."

    So pull up a chair at the Angus Table for insights from one of the breed's most accomplished international leaders.

    Key topics covered:

    1. How Tim's journey began from Auckland city to agricultural university
    2. The evolution of Storth Oaks Angus from 37 stud cows at a 1991 sale to the seed stock operation they run today
    3. Why Tim's breeding philosophy emphasises maternal attributes, performance recording, genomics, and carcass quality
    4. Tim’s agripolitical career progression from the deer industry to New Zealand Meat Board and ultimately Angus leadership
    5. About the World Angus Secretariat and Tim’s experience serving as Secretary General
    6. Tim’s role in building the Angus brand, including the origins of Angus Pure, New Zealand's first large-scale Angus beef brand
    7. How the McDonald's Angus program created a paradigm shift in consumer awareness
    8. The impact of Angus Pure, such as tangible premium for producers and catalyst for major meat companies
    9. How Angus Pro formed and why the group chose to register with Angus Australia
    10. The challenges facing the World Angus Secretariat with rapid European expansion
    11. Why measuring business outcomes at events like Beef Australia matters for the industry
    12. The importance of protecting Angus as a brand, not just a breed
    13. How Tim became Reserve Grand Champion BBQ competitor with Storth Oaks Smokers
    14. The power of customer focus in agriculture and why Tim believes more farmers need to remember this
    15. What Sir Keith Holyoake taught about sustainability: "Farm as though you'll live forever"

    Pull quotes:

    "We are looking for strong maternal attributes, we have always put a lot of emphasis on performance… And to put a lot of emphasis on carcass quality because at the end of the day, without the consumer, there's no industry. That's a real driver for...
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    55 分
  • Planning Beef 2027 and the Future of Industry Events with Simon Irwin, Beef Australia

    Planning Beef 2027 and the Future of Industry Events with Simon Irwin, Beef Australia
    2026/01/26

    In this episode of The Angus Table, host Scott Wright sits down with Simon Irwin, CEO of Beef Australia, for a fascinating conversation about running the Southern Hemisphere's premier agricultural event.

    Simon shares his remarkable journey from stock agent trainee through 30 years with News Corp managing regional publications across Australia, to becoming CEO of an event that attracts 120,000 people from 34 countries and delivers $110 million economic impact to Central Queensland.

    They discuss the Beef 1988 bicentennial origins, the critical three-year interval that keeps content fresh, why Beef Australia measures economic impact but not business done (changing for Beef 2027), the human X-factor in an AI world, and why reading both The Guardian and News Corp keeps algorithms from pigeonholing perspectives.

    So pull up a chair at the Angus Table for an inside look at what it takes to run Australia's most significant beef industry gathering.

    Key topics covered:

    1. How Simon's diverse career path—from stock agent to News Corp executive—prepared him for leading Beef Australia
    2. Why the three-year event interval is critical to Beef Australia's ongoing success and relevance
    3. The evolution from grassroots committee to professional corporate governance structure
    4. How Beef Australia has achieved national and international reach with representation from 34 countries
    5. The accommodation challenge limiting international growth and creative solutions being explored
    6. Why Beef Australia positions itself "of the industry, not in the industry"
    7. The economic impact of $110 million to Central Queensland and why measuring business done matters for 2027
    8. The importance of preserving institutional knowledge by maintaining core staff between events
    9. How hard lessons learned (like the portable toilet disaster!) improve future event delivery
    10. Why managing pressure requires perspective and understanding what truly matters
    11. The human X-factor in an AI-dominated world, the ethics of AI development and concerns about stolen intellectual property in machine learning
    12. How reading across the political spectrum prevents algorithmic echo chambers and maintains balance
    13. The power of listening twice as much as you talk to understand diverse businesses and perspectives
    14. What's changing for Beef 2027: new tech precinct, nose-to-tail focus, and making meat the hero
    15. Why Angus as both a breed and a brand has been "really spectacular" in Simon's view
    16. The results of 30 years of work in breed plan, MSA, and industry standards on beef pricing and quality

    Pull quotes:

    "Beef 88 was so successful they did it again in '91, then '94, and it's just kept going…if something's on...
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    53 分
  • Organic Certification, Fair Pricing, and Fighting for Farmers with Marg Will, OSS Advisory

    Organic Certification, Fair Pricing, and Fighting for Farmers with Marg Will, OSS Advisory
    2026/01/19

    In this episode of The Angus Table, host Scott Wright sits down with Marg Will, founder of OSS Advisory, for a wide-ranging conversation about organic certification, sustainability, and fighting for fair farmer pricing.

    Marg shares her remarkable journey from literally falling out of an avocado tree into organic certification 25 years ago, witnessing factory pollution destroy her family farm and Lake Cowan's ecosystem as a teenager, and building OSS Advisory into a business that has transitioned over 15 million hectares globally to organic production.

    They discuss the consistent 35% premium organic beef producers achieve, how Central Australian producers added $7 million in the first three years of an MLA project, speaking at the UN meat standardisation committee, and the critical difference between organic as "price maker not price taker,".

    Marg and Scott discuss truth in labeling and consumer rights, the backlash against ultra-processed foods, and why the beef sector needs to understand they're part of the food industry with responsibility beyond the saleyard gate.

    So pull up a chair at the Angus Table for a thought-provoking conversation about values, markets, and the future of sustainable beef production.

    Contact details:

    OSS Advisory (formerly Organic Systems): https://oss-advisory.com/

    This podcast is proudly brought to you by Angus Australia https://www.angusaustralia.com.au/

    +Follow Angus Australia on + Facebook + Instagram + X + LinkedIn +

    +Follow Angus Youth Australia on + Facebook + Instagram + X +

    CREDITS:

    Host: Scott Wright, CEO. Get in touch via email ceo@angusaustralia.com.au

    Producer: Mel Strasburg mel.strasburg@angusaustralia.com.au

    Audio editing and post-production: Ellen Ronalds Keene at https://perkdigital.com.au

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    1 時間 16 分
  • A Century of Angus Cattle in Central Australia with Paul Smith, Tieyon Station

    A Century of Angus Cattle in Central Australia with Paul Smith, Tieyon Station
    2026/01/12

    In this episode of The Angus Table, host Scott Wright sits down with Paul Smith from Tieyon Station in Central Australia for a remarkable conversation about 100 years of Angus cattle breeding in one of the world's driest cattle regions.

    Paul shares how his great-grandfather Frank ordered a van of Angus bulls from a newspaper ad in 1925, walked them 100 kilometers from the railhead, and slowly replaced all Shorthorns to create the only pure Angus herd remaining in Central Australia.

    They discuss managing 6,500 square kilometers (650,000 hectares) with just 2-4 staff, breeding and finishing cattle with under 200mm average rainfall, designing cows specifically for the landscape through EBV selection, surviving the 2018-21 drought while managing his wife's breast cancer diagnosis, and why temperament, structure and attitude matter more than anything else.

    So pull up a chair at the Angus Table for an inspiring story of resilience, innovation, and custodianship in Australia's red centre.

    This podcast is proudly brought to you by Angus Australia https://www.angusaustralia.com.au/

    +Follow Angus Australia on + Facebook + Instagram + X + LinkedIn +

    +Follow Angus Youth Australia on + Facebook + Instagram + X +

    CREDITS:

    Host: Scott Wright, CEO. Get in touch via email ceo@angusaustralia.com.au

    Producer: Mel Strasburg mel.strasburg@angusaustralia.com.au

    Audio editing and post-production: Ellen Ronalds Keene at https://perkdigital.com.au
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    53 分