How to produce meat cheaper than three dollars per 1 kg live weight? This question and production-related topics were discussed by members of the Kazakh delegation during a visit to two large cattle and sheep feedlots in Australia. The group of businessmen, agricultural specialists and officials was led by Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin.

The first was a modern feedlot Southern Cross Feedlot with a capacity of 35 thousand cattle of simultaneous keeping. Kazakhstani agrarians familiarized themselves with modern equipment, infrastructure, feeding methods, grain roller mill, principles of management of such a large site. 

"Along with us came livestock breeders from Kazakhstan with great experience. We have studied the ration, how they feed, our farmers are discussing ways of partnership and how to develop livestock farming in Kazakhstan. We see that in Australia all fields are either sown or grazed by cattle, and we would like to have the same," Majilis member Aidarbek Khodzhanazarov said.

Investments in such a 35,000-head farm amount to about $25-30m, which is paid back in a year or two, after which the farmer begins to make a net profit. As Australian farmers note, having built, for example, a fattening site for 5,000 heads, no additional investment is required for further capacity expansion. 

"Here the whole service system is completely different. Here, for example, the splitting, everything is fully automated. Even the split designs are different. Ours are more straight, and here they are curved, so that the animals are not afraid. The platform is located under a slope, so moisture is not retained on it, but flows down and collects in special drains. So there are no problems for the hooves. Perfect cleanliness," Kintal Islamov, chairman of the board of Atameken Agro JSC, expressed interest in implementing the method in his own farm. 

The processes of tagging, delivery for registration, parameters and history of the animal upon arrival at the feedlot are automatically read by the ear tag. The animals are separated into different fattening programs according to the standards of the countries where they are prepared for sale. On this farm there are 4 fattening programs: for EU countries, for 150, 200 and 350 days. There are 25 permanent employees. 

On this farm the animals give a weight gain of 1.5-2 kg every day. As with the bulk of Australian farmers, the production is cheaper due to the rotational grazing method, three stages of fattening, and complete recycling of waste. Reduction of costs at each stage and well-organized livestock trade on the exchange give the opportunity to get the return on investment as quickly as possible. 

Similar economic approach to sheep fattening. Kazakhstani specialists familiarized themselves with it during the visit to Bakersfield Feedlot. Fully automated feed feeding system allows to put on simultaneous fattening 16 thousand lambs at a time, annual turnover - more than 65 thousand heads. 

"The area of our industrial site is about 11,000 hectares. The annual herd on the farm is from 60 to 90 thousand. I am responsible for the carcass to have a good meat yield, high marbling, so that the meat is soft," the owner of the fattening site Aaron Prettejon said. 

Ilyas Zhananov, a representative of Alakol Agro LLP, which is involved in the sheep cluster, noted that domestic production has good potential, and a semi-automated feeding system like the one at this site would be useful.

#Agroindustrial complex #Serik Zhumangarin