The Land

Commercial feedback drives Jarrah Genetics

Commercial feedback drives Jarrah Genetics
Commercial feedback drives Jarrah Genetics

Story sponsored by Jarrah Genetics.

SAM and Sarah Becker of Jarrah Genetics are preparing to showcase a line up of 34 modern Herefords and 34 Jarrah Red bulls at their annual bull sale, and first live auction, on-property at 'Glenarchy', Banana, on September 7.

Jarrah Genetics, a family-owned and operated business, is more than just a seed stock business.

The Becker family, through Jarrah Cattle Company, run a vertically integrated beef cattle operation consisting of commercial, trade and bull breeding herds.

The families' beef production business has always centred around being commercially focused and profit driven - the Jarrah Genetics' bull breeding program is a result of this policy.

"The goal was to provide a platform to breed superior genetics that could be then multiplied within the commercial breeding operation," Sam said.

"It has meant critical selection of traits such as fertility, carcase, structural correctness, temperament and survivability remained at the forefront of the bull breeding program, to enhance performance and predictability in all aspects of the business.

"Ultimately ensuring profitability and efficiency flow through to the commercial operation."

Sam said investment in genetics has the ability to move your business forward, through improvements in both quality and herd efficiency.

"We all know that a calf on the ground each year is what really drives profit in this game," he said.

"Further to this we have seen, even in tougher years when cattle are flooding the market, that quality cattle can always be placed into domestic markets and sell well," he continued.

"Many don't know this, but Jarrah Genetics morphed into a seed stock business to support our need to source top quality genetics for our own commercial herd. In that sense, we are proud to tell our clients' that we don't just talk, we walk the walk too.

"There are commercial realities underpinning the founding principles of our genetics operation."

Using their own Jarrah Hereford bulls in their commercial herd over higher content Bos Indicus breeders, Jarrah is able to instantly lower the content and produce a flatback animal which, Sam says, provides many market options.

"Jarrah Reds are often then used over the middle Bos Indicus content breeders to stabilise the content level," he said.

"We produce heifers with fertility that are adapted to the environment, and steers that have carcase with softness that suit the premium feedlot specs or hit the MSA market, if the season allows us to grow them to slaughter weight."

Commercial feedback drives Jarrah Genetics
Commercial feedback drives Jarrah Genetics

Jarrah Genetics Herefords are all born and bred in Central Queensland tick country, making them environmentally adapted and highly fertile with superior carcase attributes.

Jarrah, Sam says, carefully selects their Hereford bulls with a focus on survivability and fertility.

The Jarrah Red breed is unique to the Becker family. Marketed as 'the clean-coated flatbacks' - a Jarrah Red consists of just under 50 per cent British genetics and remainder percentage Brahman.

"I think a client of ours really summed the Reds and their progeny up well - hard enough for live export with their sleek coats, yet soft enough for the premium domestic feedlots," Sam said.

"Another advantage of these bulls is that they still offer hybrid vigour to other breeds as they are a different genetic makeup to what people have, but if you are wanting to maintain a red line of cattle the Jarrah Reds maintain that.

"We have seen over the past couple of years in the tougher seasons that the genetics from both lines have really stood up with fertility. This was certainly the best of a bad situation."

Commercial feedback drives Jarrah Genetics
Commercial feedback drives Jarrah Genetics

The final piece to the Jarrah puzzle, is their trade cattle. Putting their money where their mouth is, so to speak, Jarrah is proud to offer a reinvestment in their genetics through the 'buy back' scheme.

"In addition to providing genetics, we are proud to stand behind our genetics offering a 'buy back' scheme to clients," Sam said.

"Part of our commercial operation is backgrounding steers to feedlot specifications, we prefer to source weaners from our bull clients to do this job, as we know that these cattle will perform.

"This adds further traceability in our genetics and allows a floor to be put in the market for our client's selling programmes."

The Jarrah Genetics annual bull sale will offer genetics that the Becker family back, and use themselves, so you can buy with confidence. Sam and Sarah both stand behind their 34 modern Herefords and 34 Jarrah Red bulls that will be on offer at their annual bull sale on September 7.

For more information call 0417 576 667 or visit: jarrahcattle.com.au

Story sponsored by Jarrah Genetics.