Published Tuesday, 07 August, 2007 at 03:48 PM
Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries
The Honourable Tim Mulherin
NEW CALEDONIA INVESTS IN CQ BEEF GENETICS
New Caledonia is looking to Queensland to deliver specialised livestock, horticulture and aquaculture products and technologies as a result of a number of initiatives led by the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.
“I am informed that the New Caledonian Government was extremely impressed with DPI&F’s expertise in tropical agriculture and its research and extension officers,’’ Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries Tim Mulherin said.
Central Queensland Brahman breeder Tony Fenech, from FBC Brahmans in Wowan, recently accompanied DPI&F senior trade and investment officer Helen Newell on a seven-day investigative market visit to New Caledonia.
“The New Caledonian Government, in collaboration with the Australian Consulate-General in Noumea, coordinated the itinerary for this visit which included meetings and site inspections with 30 agricultural enterprises,” Mr Mulherin said.
Ms Newell said as New Caledonia is a French Territory, with a domestic herd of some 110, 000 beef cattle dominated by Limousin and Charolais European breeds.
“Cattle tick control is a major management issue for those breeds in tropical environments,” Ms Newell said.
“DPI&F Beef Breeding Services is well placed to export a wide selection of tropically adapted, tick resistant Bos indicus breed semen and artificial insemination (AI) training programs.”
Tony Fenech is an Australian Brahman Breeders’ Association councillor and hosted two New Caledonian delegations last year to his FBC Brahman stud. His business was a 2006 recipient of the Premier of Queensland’s Export Award for Agribusiness (Central Queensland) in recognition of the family’s innovative application of science and technology within the stud’s breeding program.
Mr Fenech’s practical experience with embryo transfer (ET) technology has paved the way for FBC Brahmans to supply embryos to New Caledonian cattle producers for their 2007 ET program to fast track the introduction of top Brahman genetics.
Mr Mulherin said Rockhampton’s Beef 2006 exposition had attracted a New Caledonian Congress delegation that opened up successful trade relationships with members of the DPI&F and Austrade “Handshakes” program.
“Ms Newell and DPI&F industry development officer at Mackay, Ross Dodt, hosted a delegation of 10 New Caledonian representatives in August last year to inspect a number of Brahman holdings in the Mackay district,’’ Mr Mulherin said.
“The visit also led to an Aus-Meat consultancy undertaking a systems analysis of New Caledonian abattoir operations.’’
Ms Newell said DPI&F had provided input on New Caledonia’s pine forestry plantation development, tropical fruit and vegetable production, quarantine services and the establishment of prawn and redclaw freshwater crayfish aquaculture projects.
Media: 3239 6530
NB. Photos available on request:
1. DPI&F senior trade and investment officer Helen Newell, Rockhampton, discusses the potential for collaborative research with representatives from the New Caledonian Entomology Research Centre during her recent investigative market visit.
2. Central Queensland Brahman breeder Tony Fenech, FBC Brahmans, Wowan (left) discusses the successful introduction of FBC Brahman genetics into New Caledonia with Limousin cattle breeder Dennis Lemarrec (second from left); Eric Babin, Minister for Agriculture, Farming and Fisheries; and cattle producers Christophe Lafluer and Stephan Lemarrec.
“I am informed that the New Caledonian Government was extremely impressed with DPI&F’s expertise in tropical agriculture and its research and extension officers,’’ Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries Tim Mulherin said.
Central Queensland Brahman breeder Tony Fenech, from FBC Brahmans in Wowan, recently accompanied DPI&F senior trade and investment officer Helen Newell on a seven-day investigative market visit to New Caledonia.
“The New Caledonian Government, in collaboration with the Australian Consulate-General in Noumea, coordinated the itinerary for this visit which included meetings and site inspections with 30 agricultural enterprises,” Mr Mulherin said.
Ms Newell said as New Caledonia is a French Territory, with a domestic herd of some 110, 000 beef cattle dominated by Limousin and Charolais European breeds.
“Cattle tick control is a major management issue for those breeds in tropical environments,” Ms Newell said.
“DPI&F Beef Breeding Services is well placed to export a wide selection of tropically adapted, tick resistant Bos indicus breed semen and artificial insemination (AI) training programs.”
Tony Fenech is an Australian Brahman Breeders’ Association councillor and hosted two New Caledonian delegations last year to his FBC Brahman stud. His business was a 2006 recipient of the Premier of Queensland’s Export Award for Agribusiness (Central Queensland) in recognition of the family’s innovative application of science and technology within the stud’s breeding program.
Mr Fenech’s practical experience with embryo transfer (ET) technology has paved the way for FBC Brahmans to supply embryos to New Caledonian cattle producers for their 2007 ET program to fast track the introduction of top Brahman genetics.
Mr Mulherin said Rockhampton’s Beef 2006 exposition had attracted a New Caledonian Congress delegation that opened up successful trade relationships with members of the DPI&F and Austrade “Handshakes” program.
“Ms Newell and DPI&F industry development officer at Mackay, Ross Dodt, hosted a delegation of 10 New Caledonian representatives in August last year to inspect a number of Brahman holdings in the Mackay district,’’ Mr Mulherin said.
“The visit also led to an Aus-Meat consultancy undertaking a systems analysis of New Caledonian abattoir operations.’’
Ms Newell said DPI&F had provided input on New Caledonia’s pine forestry plantation development, tropical fruit and vegetable production, quarantine services and the establishment of prawn and redclaw freshwater crayfish aquaculture projects.
Media: 3239 6530
NB. Photos available on request:
1. DPI&F senior trade and investment officer Helen Newell, Rockhampton, discusses the potential for collaborative research with representatives from the New Caledonian Entomology Research Centre during her recent investigative market visit.
2. Central Queensland Brahman breeder Tony Fenech, FBC Brahmans, Wowan (left) discusses the successful introduction of FBC Brahman genetics into New Caledonia with Limousin cattle breeder Dennis Lemarrec (second from left); Eric Babin, Minister for Agriculture, Farming and Fisheries; and cattle producers Christophe Lafluer and Stephan Lemarrec.