FOR cattle producers, profitability is a major reason for their choice of breed and enterprise. In northern Australia, that focus has seen cattle producers diversify their breeding and finishing practices, and cross-breed Bos Taurus and Bos Indicus cattle, based on consumer and market demands.

Consumers demand marbling and grass finishing, whereas feedlots require an early maturing beast that eats well and converts grain into meat. Breeders want an early maturing animal that will breed easily, whose progeny do well on pasture

or grain and are fertile, and yield well as a carcase.

Enter the Brangus, the breed of cattle that is a hybrid of Brahman and Angus traits - polled, parasite and tropical heat resistance, fertile, lays down muscle on a grassfed diet, produces marbled meat - and for decades has been an established breed, in its own right.

Ray White Rural livestock agent, Gary Wendt, said the Brangus - with its flat back, or lack of hump, compared to a Brahman or similar breed - fits the market. In addition, black cattle continue to meet a premium in the saleyards.

"The Brangus hits a flat back market that brings a premium. The Angus traits give them do-ability in the paddock and they feed well in the feedlots. Brangus would suit a lot of people's country, and the Angus gives them the capacity to endure

cooler climates whereas the Brahman component means they do well in tick country. They're a good yielding animal - your steer portion as bullocks will give you a 57 per cent yield, whereas cows are yielding 52pc," Mr Wendt said.

Brangus cattle can be crossed back to another Bos Indicus or Bos Taurus breed depending on what the producer is breeding for. In a lot of markets, that means breeding the Brangus with a traditional British or European sire to take advantage of growing out an early maturing animal that lays down fat and muscle, with marbled meat, on a grass or grain finished system, depending on whether the animal is turned off on pasture or in a feedlot system.

"Your trade steer turns off at 300kg at 100 days for the domestic market. For the frozen meat export market, the grainfed steer grows out to 380 to 500kg in an efficient time and without losing quality.," he said.

One of the main focuses of breed stalwarts is placing the Brangus breed in the top five of preferred breeds in Australia, and registering the UltraBlack and UltraRed differentiation.

"People are dabbling in Ultras - the people I know sell them as weaners and when you put them on your feeder grids, it gives you an advantage in the feed-on job. A fair percentage of the UltraBlack - with its higher Angus percentage - leans more towards laying down muscle faster in the feedlot than other tropical breeds."

As well as selling at prices comparable with other breeds, Brangus were shown at Sydney Royal show this year for the first time in more than a decade, when JJJ Fitting took Kraken Brangus stud cattle to the show.

In 2021, Brangus bulls were among the five breeds with top producing sires, calculated on the number of registered progeny from the previous year's drop.

Also in 2021, a 25-monthold red Brangus bull bred by Viamonte Brangus stud was awarded Grand Champion status Beef Australia. The same stud achieved Champion of the World - Asia/Africa gold for one of its females in the Brangus category, and bronze for the same bull.

Breeders in northern NSW, across Queensland and Northern Territory, and now in South Australia, are showing a preference for buying Brangus cattle. In 2021, this saw bull sales climb to high clearance rates and a top price of $80,000 for a bull, $14,000 for registered heifers and $3000 for commercial heifers, was achieved at the Rockhampton Brangus Sale.

Commercial cattle are also doing well, with the Brangus among the nine largest offerings by breed in online sales.

"At the 3700 head weaner sale at Gracemere saleyards on June 6, there were big runs of black cattle and steers. There would've been 500 head of Brangus cattle at the sale. Restockers are looking for a lot of Brangus and Brangus-infused steers and heifers, because they're suitable for grass finishing and going into feedlots. There's a portion of heifers that are going into breeding programs. The majority of Brangus are quiet to handle and that breeding is paying off."

Article courtesy of the Queensland Country Life