Red Meat Updates happening in Launceston

More than 350 red meat producers and industry stakeholders are expected at today’s Red Meat Updates in Launceston and they’ll be buoyed by what Global AgriTrends livestock analyst and managing director Simon Quilty has to report.

Mr Quilty said that the US sheepmeat and goatmeat tariff increase from 10 to 12.5 per cent will have no impact whatsoever.

“The market will absorb that in a heartbeat,” he said.

“Their lamb is worth $19.50 per kilo and ours is $11.50 to $12 – there’s at least a 70 per cent price difference so we’re still seen as exceptionally good value,” he said.

Mr Quilty, from Wangaratta, Victoria, is one of the keynote speakers at the red meat industry conference with the theme “Making It Count - Optimising Farm Systems”.

The focus will be on exploring practical solutions for growers to help them improve profitability and business resilience in an increasingly complex operating environment.

Mr Quilty said that the current review by the US International Trade Commission is of bigger concern but its claim that the US industry is being harmed by Australian imports doesn’t hold water.

“The truth is they’re at record levels and attracting a 70 per cent premium - they are just reflecting on what happened in 2024 when a lot of Aussie lamb was on the market,” he said. “Now that our flock has fallen from 74 million to 62 million and at best will grow back to around 65 million, means there will be less mutton and lamb going forward.”

When it comes to beef he also had good news.

“The quality end of the market has got better and demand is greater than ever before,” he said.

“Consumer demand globally has increased and Tasmania sits in the perfect position to supply the quality that’s required.

“My advice today will be to continue focussing on quality to capitalise on the shortable of quality beef over the next 10 years.”

Midlands lamb producer Georgie Burbury agreed, saying strong demand and tight supplies should soften the immediate effect of the increased tariffs.

“But I also see it as a reflection of what an amazing job we are doing in producing a low-cost product.

“We need to keep doing business as usual, while remaining mindful of keeping our own cost of production low on-farm.”

Having presented at the past two Updates, Mr Quilty said he was also pleased to report that his forecast last year has been “bang on” for beef and “pretty close” for lamb.

“I think  things will go a bit sideways through August and September but we’ll finish the year strongly,” he said.

At the updates, local and interstate speakers will cover a range of production, business and supply chain topics under the themes of beef, sheep, dryland pasture and irrigated pasture.

The virtual farm tour this year is Ben and Stephanie Tait’s mixed farming operation, Riverlea Farming, at Epping Forest.

Since purchasing Fairfield in 2018, Ben and Steph have developed a highly integrated mixed farming enterprise encompassing beef, prime lamb production, cropping, winter dairy agistment and straw production, while progressively upgrading the property’s irrigation infrastructure.