Fort Worth to Tamworth: A world of livestock experience from PJ Budler

Australian Angus breeders' focus on foot quality will stand it in good stead worldwide, and open market opportunities in countries like the United States for outcross genetics.

This is the opinion of PJ Budler, the international business manager for Transover Genetics, in Fort Worth, Texas.

Mr Budler was one of the three judges adjudicating the pens of three heifers and bulls at the Tamworth leg of the World Angus Forum.

"There's a lot of US genetics in Australia, and there's a lot of outcross genetics that the US could really use," he said.

"I found today that the Australians have definitely focused more on foot quality.

"The skull shape of the cattle is better; they have stronger jaws and muzzles, on average."

He said Australian Angus breeders have used US genetics to select the types that would fit Australia's more extensive conditions and environments.

"And then there's definitely some extra fleshing ability and fat on these cattle, which is essential, the inherent body condition is higher," he said.

"We in the US might have gone a little lean in our phenotypes, which makes them later maturing, and can give fertility issues."

Mr Budler travels extensively setting up opportunities for Transover Genetics globally.

"I've got a company called Global Livestock Solutions, where I consult on different commercial and registered operations globally, and that keeps me busy," he said.

He described the pen of three competitions as 'an incredible concept'.

"You have to match three cattle in terms of quality and uniformity, and then use data and phenotype," he said.

Mr Budler and his co-judges, Professor Dan Shike, University of Illinois and Roger Evans, Nagol Park, Tamworth, examined the Breedplan data of the pens several days before the show, without any visual reference to the cattle.

"I think our three assessments were quite different," he said.

"I tried to put parameters where I was optimising more than maximising.

"I was trying to find a more balanced approach, trying to avoid the extremes on either side, and then working with something that's solid and in the middle.

"For example, the growth traits were somewhere above average, but not too far out. And then with milk, the same thing, trying to make the best of it, ensuring there is milk, but not too much.

"And then with a carcass, they just needed to be above average. Ribeye and marbling needed to be in the top 75 per cent because I feel like the average Angus marbling is enough.

"So as long as they're not bottom 25pc.

"And they needed to have fat, so the cattle needed to be top half for body condition score, because that's an ingredient for fertility.

"It helps them survive through the winter, and it's also good for grading at the end of the day."

He said there were different weights on each trait, but he was focusing on finding an average rather than an outlier or more extreme example.

Commenting on the theme of the World Angus Forum, Beef for a Better Planet, he said Angus breeders would benefit from faster maturing cattle that were more fertile and which then generate less carbon in their lifetime.

"America is quite interesting because it's an exceptional country. It's exceptionally bad and exceptionally good," he said.

"There are people doing everything there, but what I'm trying to do with my customers anyway, and the events I speak at and shows I go to, is trying to emphasise what sustainability really looks like.

"Sustainability is profitability. Profitable enterprises can care about managing pastures correctly. Can care about creating habitats for wildlife. Can care about soil erosion.

If you're not profitable, you don't get the opportunity to care about that stuff.

"What keeps you in business is fertility, longevity and adaptability. So my emphasis might be a little more boring and less flashy, but it's keeping the family farm in business for me," he said.

Mr Budler said the election of President Donald Trump has been interesting but might differ from what is being reported in most Australian media outlets.

"It's interesting, I think. Personally, and as an industry, we had to move away from what was happening (with the previous president), but we're a little unsure about where we're going," he said.

"I think the domestic policies (in the US) have really worked well so far.

"The international policies, especially with some of the trade agreements and tariffs. (However, the) uncertainty around those two subjects, well, I hope we land in the right place.

"We might have to give up some market to get there, which would benefit Australia. I think Australia will be set up to sign some pretty good deals if the US doesn't organise their trade agreements."

Mr Budler said Australian producers and processors have a good advantage on the Australian currency exchange rate compared to the US dollar.

"You've got a good advantage from a geography standpoint in Southeast Asia," he said.

"Australia and the US play 'good-cop, bad-cop quite well, where you know the US is often the bad cop and Australia, the good cop, and that puts you at a huge advantage, politically with Southeast Asia."