Kazakh export opportunity knocks
SOUTH Gippsland farmers could realise a new export opportunity after an international delegation visited an Inverloch beef stud last Thursday.
Representatives of the Kazakhstan Government’s agricultural department inspected Angus cattle and Australian farming methods at Yancowinna Angus stud.
Owners Dennis and Christine Ginn, together with manager Rob Ewing, showed the visitors a variety of cattle and explained the pasture based system they use on their 450ha property.
The visit was arranged by livestock export company, Livestock Shipping Services, as a part of a seven day tour encompassing Gippsland, the Western District and Tamworth in New South Wales.
After Yancowinna, the delegation travelled to Poowong North to see the famed Jersey dairy herd of the Wallacedale stud.
The previous day, the group inspected Caldermeade Farm and Café near Lang Lang, owned by Max Jelbart of Leongatha South.
The Kazakhstan Government may import Australian beef and dairy genetics to increase the nation’s herd size and quality, and also implement such agricultural technology as the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) and disease management systems.
The country largely has pastured based beef and dairy systems, but lacks the saleyards and feedlot facilities of Australia, and the government is seeking to intensify agriculture.
The country – between China and Russia – has just 6000 beef and dairy cattle, and a population of 17 million that consumes a lot of meat, including horse.
Deputy Agriculture Minister Gulmira Issayeva said the government would cover 80 per cent of farmers’ pasture establishment costs and 50 per cent of asset costs.
“We are going to create a real meat productivity breed, and we are importing Angus and Herefords from Australia to cross with our domestic breeds to improve genetic potential,” she said.
Ms Issayeva said having a stud like Yancowinna in Kazakhstan “is our dream”.
“We wish all stud farms should be the same as Yancowinna Angus,” she said.
Livestock Shipping Services’ operations manager and veterinary advisor, Dr Holly Ludeman, said Australia exported 3000 Angus pure bred Angus heifers to Kazakhstan last year.
In Kazakhstan, 80 to 90 per cent of cattle are owned by villagers.
“They’re trying to get together a nucleus heard of breeding stock,” Dr Ludeman said.
“Kazakhstan has not had a high level of genetic quality in the past, and they are trying to build up their herd and their food base.
“We are trying to get the large numbers they want and we find Angus are easy to source.”
Even essential infrastructure needs to be established on a greater scale and that is a massive task given Kazakhstan is one of the world’s biggest countries.
Yancowinna was recommended as a suitable stud to visit by the Angus breed’s peak body, Angus Australia, of which Mr Ginn is a former a chairman. He is now chairman of the Angus Sire Benchmarking Program.
“We were not only surprised but it was a pleasure to have the delegates understand how Angus works and how Australian farms work,” he said.
Yancowinna stud manager Rob Ewing noted the visitors also took an interest in how working dogs are used on Australian farms.
- Yancowinna’s Spring Sale will be held on property at Inverloch, on Thursday, October 2.
Australia tour: members of the Kazakhstan delegation at Yancowinna Angus Study, from left, Nurpeisov Zharkin, advisor to the Minister of Agriculture; stud principal Dennis Ginn, Dina Sattybayeva, investment department manager with Kazakh Ministry of Agriculture; Kazakh Deputy Agriculture Minister Gulmira Issayeva; Urazgali Nurgazin Kazakh, deputy director of Agriculture Department of Kostanay Region; and Holly Ludeman, Livestock Shipping Services.
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Posted by brad on Sep 23 2014. Filed under Featured, Rural News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
