A passion for Angus & learning
Cara Fagan runs a commercial Angus herd based at Coonamble, NSW, alongside her mother, Suzie comprising of 600 females, with a focus on turning off steers, targeting the feeder market.
Miss Fagan has been involved in the breeding program, bull selection and all aspects of animal husbandry and management within the operation, having completed an Agribusiness degree from Marcus Oldham in 2020.
The Fagan’s have been running commercial Angus cattle since 1963, when the herd was started by Miss Fagan’s grandfather Brian. Suzie Fagan has since managed and grown the herd alongside Cara.
Speaking on the benefits of the Angus breed, Miss Fagan said, “They’re hard to go past. Between the adaptability, fertility and marketability, you have a very well rounded and consistent product.”
“I believe the breed will continue to grow, and in particular become more present in northern Australia. Their performance is consistently impressive, and I believe this speaks for itself.”
With the key drivers of success of their herd being pregnancy and weaning percentage, much of the Fagan’s trait selection falls to maternal and carcase traits.
“We take all traits into account, but the focus is on calving ease, moderate mature cow weight, docility, short days to calving, high carcase weight, positive rib fat and excellent foot structure, which help us focus on breeding a profitable, tough animal driven by longevity,” said Miss Fagan.
Miss Fagan recently attended the 2022 GenAngus Future Leaders Program, joining 12 fellow up and comers in the beef industry for an intensive three-day workshop covering beef business fundamentals.
Reflecting on her experience in the program, Miss Fagan had some notable take homes.
“’The Outlook for Australian Beef’ was good to zoom out and see how we fit into a global food system, and it was interesting to see projections for the American market during drought and how this will impact prices in 2023,” said Miss Fagan of the presentation made by Simon Quilty of Global Agritrends.
“Another standout was ‘The Secret to Success’ with Angus Street. I found this particularly beneficial, as it’s very important to recognise the power of soft skills and the positive impact they have on your business and how consistency is greater than intensity, which is key to a positive trajectory.”
“‘Implementing Change’ with Simon Vogt was a standout as I enjoyed the practical nature of this session, it tied everything together, from people to production. I particularly enjoyed delving down into the production costs for a kilo of dry matter and the niche nature of this.”
Miss Fagan believes her time in the GenAngus Future Leaders Program was of great benefit to her professional and personal development and encourages those with a passion for the industry to apply.
To utilise the unlimited potential of Angus genetics or find out more about the Angus Youth programs visit www.angusaustralia.com.au
