CROSSBREEDING is where cattle producers will start making more money, says beef consultant Dick Whale, Wangaratta, Victoria.
His views are backed up by the American Simmental Association (ASA).
The first-cross female of Simmental Angus genetics was the "Holy Grail", Mr Whale said, and had the potential to significantly boost productivity.
But in the past two years he said the Simmental breed had struggled to grow market share because producers were using the breed as a terminal sire only.
Mr Whale told producers at a field day at Nundle in northern NSW to get the real economic value out of the Simmental breed, they had to start using F1 females as replacement cows.
"You'll have a cow that will produce an extra calf in its lifetime which will make you more money," he said.
Mr Whale said market demand was for black cattle, not pure Angus, so producers wouldn't lose any premium through crossbreeding.
"There is a live export demand for the Simmental-Angus cross," he said.
"There's no reason on that basis to say you only want to use Angus because it gets the premium."
ASA director of commercial and industry operations Will Townsend, White Sulphur Springs, Montana, was one of four US Simmental breeders who visited Australia during November, and also spoke at the Wombramurra Black Simmental field day.
He said although maximum heterosis was achieved when crossing purebreds, crossing hybrid cattle offered producers a more manageable way of obtaining hybrid vigour.
"About 50 per cent of the maximum amount is always maintained," he said.
Traits that don't have a high rate of heritability, such as fertility, could be maximised through this method and producers could select according to which traits they wanted to boost.
"Fertility is really where you make your money when crossbreeding," Mr Townsend said.
Full story in Simmental Advantage, free in The LandDecember 4 edition
