AFTER celebrating 50 years of Angus seedstock production, the Raff family of Raff Angus, Drillham, will change direction and focus more on a commercial-quality grassfed beef production system on King Island.
According to Andrew Raff, this family decision was not made lightly.
"It really is about adjusting our business model and our plan is to change from a 500-cow seedstock program and scale back to a 20 to 30 per cent seedstock production, and run a large-scale commercial breeding program.
And while Raff Angus genetics will still be available to their clients, this change in direction will allow the family to grow out their progeny to measure the carcase attributes of their breeding philosophy.
"The decision to take a more commercial breeding program was based on a number of reasons," Andrew said.
"In June last year, my parents, David and Jill, visited King Island and instantly were excited about its productive nature, reliable environment and relaxed lifestyle."
The Raffs followed up with the purchase a 156ha property they named Muir of Logie, after the original farm David's ancestors owned in Scotland in the Lymwood district.
They are running 380 breeders, with the progeny targeting the lucrative grassfed King Island and Cape Grim branded products.
However, Andrew says the Raff Angus name and brand will be kept, and they will select 200 of the better females for stud duties, with the remainder moving into the Raff Angus commercial program.
"Over the years, with the exception of those bulls going into stud duties, most off our bulls have sold into crossbred herds," Andrew said.
"As such we have never been able to access meaningful carcase data, and so many of some truly elite genetic bulls have simply become lost into the vast environment we sell into.
"We are excited by the thought of being able to retain ownership of these genetics, and be able to follow their progeny through to carcasses hanging on the hook, as this is the ultimate indicator of genetic excellence.
"At the same time it will allow us to capitalise on the lucrative quality grass-fed beef market opportunities."
Andrew said another reason to change direction was that selling
bulls at an on-property sale on one day of the year, regardless of seasonal conditions or current markets, was a high risk.
"I have been associated with the seedstock business all my life, and it is intense and is seven days a week.
"One on-property sale comes and goes, and the next one starts. It is the relentless nature of the high-intensity level that we run it, as it does come at the cost of family life.
"There are not many business models in any industry that financially invest over a three-year period, to then rely on most of their annual income on that one sale day."
LOOKING AHEAD
- As a result of the southern focus, the Raff family will auction their Drillham district property Mundibulanga this month. If the property sells, the final bull auction is planned for Monday, August 10.
- The Raffs will offer the purchaser the opportunity to buy a nucleus of the stud breeding herd, along with next year's bull sale draft.
- Andrew, Anna, and their four children Harry, Charlie, Georgina and Olivia will move south to a more consistent environment and to be closer to family.
"We do have a plan and the move could take us south to an environment more suited to our grassfed beef production goals," Andrew said.
"Anna's parents live in Adelaide, and mine are now on King Island, and we are looking at schools in Adelaide for the children at a secondary level.
"We still have a desire to service our loyal clients who have supported us over the past 50 years, and will shift more to custom breeding bulls tailored to the individual requirements on a one-on-one basis."
