2008

What does the future hold for the Bazadaise breed?

This is a searching question and one breeders need to be very conscious of. Some of us early breeders know the hard work and enormous personal cost that has gone in to get this wonderful breed to where it is today. The challenges facing the Bazadaise breed ten years ago are most certainly different to the present.

Ten years ago we had an unknown breed very much in its infant years as far as Australia was concerned. Today the wheels are turning and the breed and association are gathering momentum yet we are possibly now facing our biggest challenge. As the number of stud breeders and with it cattle registrations increase we need to be conscious of maintaining the highest possible standards. When demand is high for any product there is always the temptation to grab the money while it is there, with no concern for the long term position. Short term attitudes tend to lead to long term disasters.

As cattle breeders we are privileged our product is very easy to promote due to its exceptional performance and obvious versatility but as I have always said performance is more than just growth rate. There is certainly a broad range of market requirements to meet, but as seed stock producers we need to be very conscious of physical and structural soundness, fertility and temperament.

The Bazadaise Breeders of Australia are very conscious of the need to have the highest possible standard of genetics on all registered cattle giving the commercial cattle producer the assurance that all registered seed stock are not inbred. As from January 2008 limitations have been placed on common parentage within three generations on any registered cattle. DNA profiling is also recorded for all stud sires giving added security to the pedigree of all recorded cattle.

The Bazadaise breed has a strong base in their home country of France from which we are able to select suitable genetics for our Australian conditions and we are certainly using this to our advantage. The genetic spread is increasing through imported semen and embryos but also the quality and consistency is maintaining a very high standard. The reputation of Bazadaise beef in France being tender tasty meat is certainly catching on here in Australia. We also have the added advantage of DNA testing which is backing up the tenderness and quality of the Bazadaise breed. The DNA results for tenderness and feed efficiency being achieved in Australia are consistently in the highest scores which is exactly the reputation Bazadaise has enjoyed for many many years in France.

The Bazadaise breed has been in Australia since 1991 and has solidly placed itself in a position to take on a very strong future within the Australian beef industry. It is a breed that has much to offer with its reputation for hardiness, exceptional carcase qualities and extreme saleable meat yields. Experience has taught us that the feedlots want them, the meatworks want them, the butchers want them and the end user can’t get enough of them, so I am very confident that Bazadaise have earned the title “THE BUTCHER’S PERFECT BEAST”. If you want to lift the quality of your herd, increase your dollar return and know your customer will be happy with your product I would suggest a Bazadaise is what you need.

Rodney Johannesen
President.