IT was a pen of six Charolais/Santa Gertrudis cross steers selected by Acton Land and Cattle Co's Croydon Station manager, Tom Acton, earlier this year that emerged the overall winner of Australia's most comprehensive beef supply chain competition, the RNA's Paddock to Palate.
As part of the competition, 483 steers entered into Mort and Co's, Grassdale Feedlot, Dalby, in March for the 100-day feedlot contest that culminated in a beef taste at the recent RNA to determine the winner.
According to Tom Acton, the win was very pleasing and will further help as a marketing tool for the family's beef supply chain, Acton Super Beef, which supplies selected restaurants, and overseas demand.
Acton Super Beef was launched by the Acton family in response to consumer demand for branded products of a superior and consistent quality and has quickly gained consumer acceptance throughout Australia and internationally.
"This is the second year we have entered the competition, and we have been fairly successful," he said.
"Last year were entered Angus/Santa Gertrudis-cross steers, and won the best weight gaining component, so it was good to go that bit better this year, but I do reckon there is a lot of luck involved also."
The winning pen of Charolais/Santa steers was bred on Millungera, Julia Creek, and Barkly Downs Station, Barkly Tableland, where all weaners are trucked off at eight to nine months of age and are backgrounded on Croydon Station.
The winning pen of six steers entered Grassdale Feedlot with a starting weight average of 452kg, and returned a final weight average of 703kg, recording an overall daily weight gain average of 2.4kg.
They accumulated a total of 728.43 points to claim the Sturrock Trophy victory over Riverglen Pastoral Co, Condamine, on 720.95 points, and Yulgilbar Pastoral Co, Grafton, NSW, on 717.4 points.
Croydon Station consists of 60,750ha of breeding and finishing country situated 100km north of Marlborough, and is developed brigalow scrub country with improved grasses.
Depending on the seasons, the Acton Land and Cattle Co runs about 70,000 Santa Gertrudis and Brahman based breeders on their northern breeding factory Millungra, and Barkly Downs Station.
Over the years genetics invested include those of Yulgilbar, Yarrawonga Waco, and Strathmore Santa Gertrudis bloodlines, Charolais from the Bondfield family, and some Angus infusion.
Currently the season on these northern properties is drying off, and the family is trucking off large breeding numbers onto the Central Queensland properties including Croydon, Iffley Aggregation, Rugby Run, Moray Downs, Paradise Lagoons and Mountain View, until there is a decent break in the northern season.
After growing out on Croydon, when steers reach 18 months to two years they enter the Grassdale Feedlot and are finished for either the 100-day Japanese market or the 70-day supermarket trade and sold to JBS Dinmore.
Acton Land and Cattle have enjoyed a long association with Mort and Co, and at any one time have 15,000 head being custom fed at Grassdale.
They also sell onto Mort and Co any steers which may be surplus to their requirements.
Of their heifer portion, about 20 percent of the top weaner heifers are kept as replacements.
A portion of weaners heifers are sold to the Scarrabelotti family, Green Mountain, Coominya, for the vealer market, and the balance are sold in the paddock to restockers.
Acton Land and Cattle Co is a family operation owned and managed by Graeme and Evan Acton and their families.
