Exotic-cross steer first

Press, 15 March 1978, Page 2

Exotic-cross steer first

For the first time in 18 years, he had not put an Angus steer first when judging cattle on the hoof, said Mr N. Parker, a beef cattle buyer of WaitakiNZ Refrigerating, Ltd, yesterday after judging in the “on the hoof’ section of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s beef and beef-cuts competition.

Mr Parker had just placed a 2 J year-old Charolais Angus-cross steer from Waikari Hills (Geraldine) first out of more than 50 entries in the competition. Mr Parker said he had reluctantly had to switch from the Angus breed to

the exotics because of the new system of points used in the competition. He said that he was looking for cattle which would give a good yield of meat and which were preferably of a heavy weight. The two key factors were the eye of meat and the depth of fat around the ribeye, which in the “on hooks” judging accounted for 90 out of 100 points. The winner, he said, should have a good eye of meat but what its fat cover would be like he did not know. Mr Parker said that meat without fat was required but the question

was whether there was enough fat. The cattle had to grade Pl. “With the money now being paid for meat and lack of waste, these are the six animals I prefer,” Mr Parker said, in making the following placings.:

Waikari Hills 1; B. T. Fisher (Greenpark), Charolais Friesiancross, 2; D. L. Mason (Little River), Angus-cross, 3; D. P. Graham (Tai Tapu), Main Anjou, 4; Mrs A. I. Smith (Totara Flat), Angus-cross, 5; Levels Farming (Timaru), Simmental Hereford-cross, 6. The judging of the cattle on the hooks and in cuts will be reviewed at a field afternoon at the Belfast works of the' Canterbury Frozen Meat Company, Ltd, on Friday, starting at 1.30 p.m.