Tens of thousands of people have flocked to Rockhampton for Beef Australia 2024

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Tens of thousands of people have flocked to Rockhampton for Beef Australia 2024. Many travelling thousands of kilometres from across the country, and even overseas, to wheel and deal, wine and dine, and share their knowledge of all things beef.

Transcript

00:00 This is the beef capital of Australia.

00:15 Rockhampton is rocking out as bulls, their breeders and burgers take centre stage.

00:22 Beef week is big business.

00:24 Millions of dollars worth of deals will be done this week.

00:27 But also a big social event for those involved in producing Queensland's most valuable agricultural

00:33 export.

00:34 About 240,000 Australians are employed in agriculture.

00:41 A third of the workforce is women and that number is growing.

00:46 So let's go and meet some of them.

00:49 Jemima and Matilda Penfold, along with mum Karen, are one half of four daughters.

00:55 A family owned enterprise on the Western Downs.

00:58 I love living on the land.

00:59 I love working with my family and raising cattle together.

01:04 Is this what you always wanted to do?

01:07 Yeah, definitely.

01:08 I guess it's just always been in our blood and in our passions.

01:11 It's been a good season and even though COVID halted their exports to China, Karen Penfold

01:17 is positive about the future.

01:19 COVID was a huge snag for us.

01:21 Everything was going wonderfully until then.

01:23 But you know, that's swings and roundabouts in life and in business.

01:27 Over in Centre Ring, the competition is heating up.

01:30 Erica Halliday is judging red Angus heifers.

01:33 With females I'm looking for fertility.

01:35 How long have you been doing this for?

01:38 Oh, for a very long time, like all my life.

01:40 So probably, I've been doing this for about 35 years.

01:46 And I love it.

01:47 I love the people and I love the cattle.

01:49 A blue ribbon is highly sought after.

01:51 Are you happy with the win?

01:53 Absolutely ecstatic.

01:55 Many graziers like Shea Pratt have come here to check out the latest technology.

02:00 We've looked a lot into the drones for mustering, water monitoring systems.

02:06 That's been really a big eye opener, yeah.

02:08 Not drones, but knives are the tools of Alison Maher's trade.

02:13 She's putting the bling into butchery.

02:16 It's an art.

02:17 Like, yeah, it's definitely an art.

02:18 And I'm trying to modernise it.

02:20 By encouraging more women to take up the tools.

02:23 I'm very passionate now about being a mentor for women in the meat industry.

02:29 Beef Week.

02:30 Taking protein from the paddock to the hot plate.

02:33 [MUSIC PLAYING]

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