JBS Australia shines at Beef Week 2024

It was a cracker of a year – with ticket records smashed at the biggest beef exposition in the Southern Hemisphere. Ticket sales surged in 2024 with 119,324 gate movements through the gates of the Rockhampton Showgrounds over the course of the week, up from 115,866 three years ago.

JBS Producer Dinner

We were proud to sponsor our regular JBS Australia Producer Dinner, welcoming over 200 of our valued producer partners. The dinner is an opportunity for us to celebrate and acknowledge how important our livestock producers are throughout Australia. Of course, the menu featured a variety of JBS products including Yardstick branded Beef Eye Fillets, Great Southern Lamb Chops, Huon Salmon and Rivalea Pork Belly.

We were also fortunate to have Wesley Batista at the dinner, who spoke to guests about learnings from the global business and market conditions. The room was also honoured to hear from guest speaker; Rob Cook; a tetraplegic following a helicopter crash in 2009. He shared his innovations in continuing the operation of the family property and his many triumphs, inspiring his fellow livestock producers and the JBS team. We also heard from the Federal and State Agriculture Ministers, as well as the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party,  who reinforced the important contributions of our producer partners and JBS to the Beef Industry in Australia and internationally.

During the evening a range of items were auctioned off, including a painting done by Rob Cook, raising over $50,000 towards the Royal Flying Doctors Service.

Great Southern takes home National award

Congratulations are in order for the Great Southern Team, who were recognised and awarded at the AMPC National Beef Carcase Competition Awards Dinner.

The prize-winning three Angus steer carcases were fed at our very own Yambinya Station feedlot as part of JBS's Portoro Natural grain program. Portoro has developed a set of proprietary slow acclimation and feeding processes whereby they don't need to administer antibiotics or added hormones. It’s a natural process that has the benefit of ensuring an extraordinary level of marbling consistency. The program is proudly HGP, GMO and antibiotics free!

Around the grounds

Dan Johnston, Executive Chef did a cooking demonstration with MLA and Cattle Australia, where he showcased some of JBS’s grass fed Oyster blades out of both the JBS Northern (Right to Roam) and the JBS Southern (Pinnacle) during the demonstration.

Andrews Meats Industries supplied Tajima MB5-6 Flat iron steaks for the main course at the Wagyu Long Lunch, hosted by the Australian Wagyu Association.

JBS Australia supplied a number of products including eye fillet, beef short ribs and beef cheeks to the sold-out Ring Side restaurant – ‘The Rocks’.  

Our very own Michael Finucan (General Manager Feedlots, Marketing and Industry Relations, JBS Northern) spoke at the Australian Beef Industry 101 Seminar, sharing his wealth of knowledge about our key production systems, grass and grain feeding programs and food safety.

JBS Australia representatives were present at key events throughout the week including the:

• Commercial Cattle Awards;
• RaboBank Beef Industry Awards Dinner presented by Queensland Country Life;
• Do it for Dolly charity lunch; and
• Nutrien Ag Solutions Commercial Cattle Championship Awards Dinner.

Outside

JBS used the opportunity to host visitors and dignitaries at our Rockhampton plant including Wesley Batista, AMPC, international customers and Federal Government representatives.

Thank you

On behalf of the entire JBS business, we want to thank each and every team member who was involved in this year’s successful events at Beef Week. It’s these types of internationally-leading events that allow us to showcase our products to customers around the world and forge stronger relationships with our partners right across our supply chain.

Pictured: Southern & Northern Team: From left to right: Richard Sadler – Livestock Buyer JBS Northern, Cait Barton – Livestock Supply Chain Manager – JBS Northern, Peter Batley – Rockhampton Livestock Manager JBS Northern, Senator the Honourable Murray Watt, Federal Government Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Harriet Brawne – Brand Marketing Manager JBS Southern, Rob Ryan – Manager Beef Sales Domestic/Export JBS Southern, Steve Chapman – Livestock Manager JBS Southern, Aimee Bolton – Farm Assurance and Supply Chain Manager Livestock JBS Southern, Scott Minnikin – Manager Feedlots Livestock JBS Northern, Michael Hoare – Livestock Buyer JBS Northern