"We’re often looking for silver bullets in the beef industry, but real progress comes from consistent 1% improvements. These marginal gains in genetics, nutrition, education and animal welfare can add up to transformative outcomes for our businesses and our supply chains."

A Queensland beef producer is calling for a renewed focus on the basics — genetics, nutrition, and animal preparation — to unlock the next frontier in performance and sustainability for northern Australia’s beef sector.

Jarrod Cook, 2023 Nuffield Scholar, has released his report on best practices for pre-entry cattle management, following a global study tour that took him from the rangelands of Colorado to the feedlots of Brazil. Supported by the Northern Pastoral Scholarship, Jarrod’s research explores how northern beef producers can improve productivity, reduce risk, and meet increasingly complex supply chain demands through smarter preparation and management of cattle before they reach intensive feeding systems.

 “Beef producers in the north are operating in some of the most challenging conditions in the world — remote geography, extreme weather, fluctuating markets,” Jarrod explains. “But there’s also incredible opportunity. We can gain a real edge by getting the small things right early, well before cattle reach a feedlot or premium market.”

 His research highlights a suite of practical steps producers can implement to prepare cattle for market success. These include genetic selection using BREEDPLAN and genomic breeding values, nutritional strategies tailored to growth stages, structured weaning programs, and proactive disease management to reduce risks like bovine respiratory disease (BRD).

Nelore cattle in the feedlot, Bandeirinha, Brazil 

  “Whether it’s weaning calves by weight class to avoid feed competition or yard-weaning to improve weight gain and reduce stress, these are manageable, cost-effective steps that build animal resilience and business sustainability,” Jarrod says.

 The report also emphasises the importance of aligning cattle production with consumer and supply chain expectations. Jarrod explored traceability and animal welfare certification programs such as Canada’s Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+), and found strong evidence that backgrounding cattle with structure and consistency can yield not only premiums, but also long-term efficiency gains.

 “This is about positioning the northern beef industry to meet evolving demands from both markets and consumers,” Jarrod explains. “It’s not about radical change — it’s about being deliberate, consistent and data-driven in how we prepare cattle for success.”

 Jarrod believes that the northern industry’s future success hinges on producers being empowered to act on practical insights — and not being afraid to innovate.

 “I’ve always believed in the idea that ‘from little things, big things grow’ — and this report is a reflection of that. The 1% changes we make today can be the difference between thriving and surviving into the future.”

Jarrod’s full report is now available on the Nuffield Australia website, alongside a video of his presentation at the 2024 Nuffield Annual Conference in Launceston, providing further insights into his research and findings.