Some of Australia's tastiest beef – and the farmers who produce it – have been recognised in the 2023 Meat Standards Australia (MSA) Excellence in Eating Quality Awards, by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA).
The awards recognise producers from across the country who consistently deliver beef of superior eating quality, based on the parameters of the MSA program. MSA is based on more than 1.7 million taste tests by over 250,000 consumers from 13 countries and considers the factors that affect eating quality from the paddock to plate.
MSA Program Manager, David Packer, said the awards recognise beef producers in each state who have achieved outstanding results in a very large field of tough competition.
"This is the 25th year of the MSA program and in that time, it has become the world-leading eating quality grade program for Australian red meat," Dr Packer said. "It is a key driving force behind the quality of Australian red meat, so these awards are a prestigious achievement for the producers.
"Each winner must achieve high eating quality performance for MSA graded cattle during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 financial years and supply consistent MSA cattle within the top 50% percentile for that state and feed type.
"These are the best of the best when it comes to producing consistently outstanding beef."
The awards up for grabs in each state include: 'Most Outstanding MSA Beef Producer - Feedlot' and two awards for 'Most Outstanding MSA Beef Producers', which recognise producers of both larger and smaller non-feedlot MSA consignment volumes.
This year's Most Outstanding MSA Beef Producer – Feedlot for each state are:
State |
Most Outstanding MSA Beef Producer – Feedlot |
NSW/ACT |
JHW Paterson & Son, Balranald |
VIC |
Alloa Pastoral Co Pty Ltd, Milawa |
QLD |
Stockyard Lot Feeders Pty Ltd, Jondaryan |
WA |
Stone Axe Pastoral, West Perth |
SA/NT |
Thomas Foods International, Tintinara |
This year's Most Outstanding MSA Beef Producers Band 1 for larger businesses are:
State |
Most Outstanding MSA Beef Producer – Band 1 |
NSW/ACT |
Ardsley Pastoral, Bathurst |
VIC |
Nekashabai Pty Ltd Trustee for N & K Beecher Family Trust, Yinnar |
QLD |
Bull Creek Pty Ltd, Taroom |
WA |
Graham Ayres Livestock, Bornholm |
SA/NT |
BM & BP Mumford & Sons, Crystal Brook |
TAS |
KS & GN Johnson, Preston |
This year's Most Outstanding MSA Beef Producers Band 2 for smaller businesses are:
State |
Most Outstanding MSA Beef Producer – Band 2 |
NSW/ACT |
Tarrabah Pastoral Co, Attunga |
VIC |
RJ & SM Dalley, Buchan South |
QLD |
The Smith Family-New Kooroon, North Star |
WA |
Twin Lakes Holdings, Manjimup |
SA/NT |
MW Jones, Glencoe |
TAS |
Teldara Pty Ltd, Penguin |