1 OCTOBER 2024: Top students from the Inter Collegiate Meat Judging (ICMJ) program visited our Cannon Hill site this week, participating in a Queensland roadshow.
The 21 tertiary students visited 10 industry sites over five days on the ICMJ AUS-MEAT Intensive Education and Development Week.
While here they were given a specialised tour of operations and treated to a BBQ lunch of our premium 1620 brand porterhouse and scotch steak.
ACC CEO Anthony Lee said: “During their visit, students had the opportunity to explore everything from livestock management to high-quality meat processing and gain first-hand knowledge of industry-leading practices in sustainability and efficiency.
“These are the future leaders of our industry and we are delighted to support them through the ICMJ program.”
ACC R&D manager Paul Gibson said the ICMJ program provides a crucial pipeline between the educational and commercial agriculture worlds to connect and facilitate undergrad university students into fast-tracked career pathways across the Australian red meat supply chain.
“ACC has supported and participated in the ICMJ initiative over many years with the belief the program develops potential industry leaders of the future,” he said.
Among the participants was UNE student Tink Morgan, newly named as a second-row with the Sydney Waratahs. She left the group a day early to head for Caloundra to compete in the Australian Rugby Shield. She comes off a third-generation cattle/dryland cropping property that converted to the full-blood Arubial Wagyu stud and 26,000-head feedlot in 2015. After her sports career she aspires for a professional life in ag-tech, either in robotics or precision agriculture.
“Ever since I was young I’ve known I was going to in the ag sector,” she said.
Sydneysider Jack Mayhew had no family background in agriculture but discovered its appeal showing cattle with his secondary school team. “I was never a super-studious kid,” he said. “But I got involved in showing cattle and I found my calling.” He remains connected to the school – suburban Oakhill College – as its cattle club coach.
He became involved in ICMJ to develop contacts to ‘bridge the gap between urban and rural’. His lack of farming background did not hamper his involvement in ICMJ, he said. “Everyone has been so welcoming it’s almost daunting. You realise that people want you to join the industry.”
Now studying animal and vet bioscience and applied animal systems at the University of Sydney he anticipates a PhD studying feedlot systems.
The furthest-travelled participants were a trio from Murdoch University in WA: Taite O’Neill, Ongerup; Kristy Shadbolt, Mukinbudin and Kristen Batten, Dinninup.
Asked to nominate the biggest eye-opener of their visit, Taite marvelled at the market access for industries on the east coast while Kristy nominated the number and variety of jobs available in the industry. Kristen praised the scale of the operations they had visited, while also noting the opportunities for students.
The ICMJ AUS-MEAT Intensive Education and Development Week brings together top students selected at the National ICMJ Conference earlier this year to enhance their understanding of the operations of leading meat industry supply chain businesses.
The group will also visit other industry operators throughout the week including: AAM, AA Co, MLA, AUS-MEAT, NH Foods, Mort & Co, DIT AgTech, Teys Australia and Port of Brisbane.
AUS-MEAT General Manager of Meat Standards and Training, Ben Robinson and MLA’s Innovation Development Manager Dean Gutzke attended the ACC visit which was led by ACC’s R&D manager Paul Gibson, assisted by workplace training officer Tony Kickert.
The WA trio (L to R) Taite O’Neill, Ongerup; Kristy Shadbolt, Mukinbudin and Kristen Batten, Dinninup.
Studying the boning room in action.
Jack Mayhew, suburban boy becomes cattle fan.
ACC’s Paul Gibson with future rugby star and agtech leader, Tink Morgan.