David Brown receives his Excellent Companies award from {industry} stalwarts Kev Roberts, left, and Malcolm Foster, together with ALFA chief government Christian Mulders. Fancy costume code for the BeefEx dinner explains the hats
THE grainfed beef {industry} inducted a uncommon Excellent Business Service award winner throughout the BeefEx convention this week, with Darling Downs lotfeeder and veterinarian David Brown being saluted for his 30 12 months contribution to {industry} affairs.
Dr Brown has owned and operated the West Talgai feedlot close to Allora for the previous 40 years, together with a long run Woolworths provide contact, offering a perspective from the smaller lotfeeders’ viewpoint. Earlier in his life he was a practising cattle vet, together with prolonged stints within the Northern Territory in TB testing.
Along with his technical coaching as a veterinarian, Dr Brown has introduced a singular perspective in his key industry-facing position in serving to information grainged {industry} analysis and improvement.
Awarded solely often over the previous 20 years, ALFA’s Excellent Companies award is reserved for people who’ve made longstanding precious contributions to the present and future betterment of the Australian feedlot {industry}.
Earlier recipients have included Robin Hart from Kerwee feedlot, Kev Roberts from Sandalwood, Malcolm Foster from Rangers Valley, Invoice James from Efficiency Feeds, Tony Hoey from Superior Animal Diet, Peter Watts from FSA Consulting, and Des Rinehart from Lilyvale feedlot and MLA grainfed R&D program supervisor.
Business stalwarts Kev Roberts and Malcolm Foster offered the honour David Brown this week. Mr Brown’s important contributions to the feedlot {industry}’s improvement and sustainability all through the years have been evident by way of their feedback.
“David has been concerned within the ALFA Analysis & Improvement committee for greater than 20 years. Alongside along with his veterinary science background and proudly owning and working his personal feedlot for the previous 40 years, he’s effectively renown as a profitable businessman exterior of the feedlot {industry}, with few lot feeders having the ability to match his scientific and sensible expertise,” the pair mentioned.
“He at all times provided constructive, knowledgeable and precious enter into the numerous roles he performed across the choice and administration of R&D tasks of profit to the feedlot {industry},” Malcolm Foster mentioned.
“He at all times raised problems with specific concern to the smaller finish of the feedlot {industry}, wherever that was relevenant. He has actively contributing to our {industry} for nearly 30 years. He has, and continues to play a major position in making certain that our {industry} can develop additional in a worthwhile and sustainable approach.”
“The Australian beef {industry} wouldn’t be the place it’s right now with out David Brown’s contribution, Kev Roberts mentioned.
ALFA president Barb Madden mentioned Dr Brown’s contributions and dedication to the {industry} over time had been nothing in need of outstanding.
“His work has helped form the lotfeeding sector into what it’s right now, and as an {industry} we’re grateful for his unwavering dedication.”
In accepting his award, Dr Brown mentioned the Australian grainfed {industry}’s Nationwide Feedlot Accreditation Scheme was second to none when it comes to {industry} pushed QA packages on the planet – and our grainfed analysis & improvement program had put us equal to, if not higher than anyplace else on the planet.
“I can’t let you know how proud I’m to have been concerned in that program,” he mentioned.
Innovation, adoption
Regardless of the smaller scale of his lotfeeding enterprise, Dr Brown has been an early adopter of innovation, particularly within the space of carbon abatement, putting in six 30-watt photo voltaic panels, introducing feed components, altering to submersible pumps and measuring whole-of-feedlot carbon output as a part of a venture by way of Ruminati and Woolworths.
“Every little thing is metered,” he mentioned. “We used to have a 250hp tractor doing six tonnes of feed within the mixing field. We now have a 150hp tractor doing 9 tonnes, by way of higher and extra environment friendly mixing packing containers,” he mentioned.
Avian influenza biosecurity threat
As a veterinarian, considered one of his present livestock biosecurity issues is the danger of a virulent type of Avian influenza coming into Australia, he instructed Beef Central throughout a BeefEx dialogue.
The USA has now recorded Avian Influenza virus kind A (H5N1) in 300 dairy herds in 14 US states together with California, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, Texas, Iowa, Minnesota, New Mexico, South Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Ohio, and Wyoming.
“In the end, to be the one nation on the planet that doesn’t have it rings alarm bells,” he mentioned.
“The truth that we have now transient migratory birds coming in from the north places us at in danger. And the Queensland authorities not too long ago despatched all vets a tech word alerting them to search for sure signs connected to AI.”
“And feedlots inevitably harbour native birdlife, given the considerable provide of grain, water and shelter, including to the danger of introduction,” Dr Brown mentioned.
He mentioned he didn’t know sufficient concerning the matter to touch upon the state and federal authorities’s present response to to the AI biosecurity threat, however was merely alerting those that this was one thing all {industry} stakeholders wanted to place a ‘watching temporary’ on, as a result of it’s ‘prone to chunk us.’
“We’ve already seen what it’s performed to the price of eggs, however I’m involved about what occurs if it will get into the cattle industries, and intensive animal manufacturing (as within the US dairy {industry}) represented an elevated threat.”
Podcast:
A while again, David Brown sat down for an interview with Kerry Lonergan as a part of Beef Central’s Weekly Grill podcast sequence. Click here to entry.
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