China relations, storytelling are beef’s biggest challenges

A near-tragedy in the family propelled Robert Mackenzie to evaluate how he runs his business, which now boasts verified Black Angus brands.

Mending trade relations with China and selling the story of Australian beef is key for the future of the industry, according to one stalwart of the livestock trade.

Macka’s Australian Black Angus stud principal Robert Mackenzie has dedicated his career to telling the story of Australian agriculture.

Macka’s Australian Black Angus stud principal Robert Mackenzie at Beef Australia 2021. Picture: Madeleine Stuchbery

And it was a surprising catalyst that propelled Mr Mackenzie to evaluate how he runs his business.

His beef brand joined the suite of verified Black Angus beef brands late last year, a step which he said was important in securing Australia’s reputation as a quality producer.

“This my first time at Beef Week … it shows Australia is committed to agriculture,” Mr Mackenzie said.

“Technology is definitely on the forefront of everyone’s mind … that’s why we’ve been heavily involved in traceability, smart table providence, and it just shows we’ve been on the right track for years.

“I’m excited about the future … it fits right in the Australian producers’ pocket. We’ve got fresh, green and clean (product), and we’ve got what the consumer wants, both in Australia and overseas, and we’ve got the ability to tell the story.”

Mr Mackenzie runs his family farm at Newcastle, NSW, with an operation spanning 5666 hectares (14,000 acres) and encompassing 3500 Angus cattle.

His family farm was founded in 1884, on “prime coastal country in NSW”, and while much has changed in the last 137 years, “a lot has stayed the same”.

“Animals, country, and consumers, it’s the same philosophy,” Mr Mackenzie said.

But his passion for promoting his authentic Angus product came after his son broke his neck, forcing Mr Mackenzie to evaluate the future of the business, and different ways of farming.

“He’s OK. But when we were in the hospital, I felt if he was in a wheelchair … perhaps he could still trade beef. That was something quite raw to me,” Mr Mackenzie said.

“He’s on the farm now, in charge of our infrastructure work, he did a double degree and is a great asset to our business.”

Mr Mackenzie said he felt a disconnect with his cattle once they were sold, and wanted to promote traceability of his product — to authenticate his credentials to the customer.

“Who is getting the accolades for that hard work that we, as a family, are putting in?” Mr Mackenzie said.

“We put a lot of pride, and a lot of commitment into breeding out cattle.”

His commitment to traceability has translated into a product footprint in more than 10 countries.

“We’re in about 11 countries, but we put a lot of effort into the Chinese market,” Mr Mackenzie said.

“We took about 15 trips in five years to China. But it’s been tough as we know. We’re also having great success in the Middle East, they’ve been great for us.”

While the Macka’s Australian Black Angus brand has had success in China, Mr Mackenzie said it was imperative the industry didn’t take its eye off the ball when dealing with its biggest trade partner.

“It has to be a viable market, but it has to be viable for China. China needs our beef,” Mr Mackenzie said.

“They can be strong and say they don’t want it. But at the end of the day they want it. If they didn’t want it, they’d suspend every plant going into China. They’re teaching us a lesson, showing us who’s boss. At the end of the day they’re our biggest trading partner, and what do we say? The customer is always right. I don’t always agree with that. This needs to be fixed fast, and I’d be happy to lead a delegation with the trade minister to talk about how important the Australian product is for the Chinese consumer.

“Let’s fix the past and move forward with a positive future.”