Angus for Every System – Celebrating Our Breed and Looking Ahead
Scott Wright, CEO, Angus Australia
As I reflect on the incredible energy and success of the Neogen World Angus Forum 2025, held right here on Australian soil, I’m filled with pride and gratitude. The week was more than an event; it was a true celebration of everything the Angus breed has become and everything it still can be. It showcased not just our genetics, but our people, our commitment, and the depth of the Angus community across the globe.
When I stood at the lectern to open the Forum, I was reminded of just how far we have come. From a small group of passionate pioneers in 1919 to a globally respected breed society, Angus Australia now represents more than 4,000 members across Australia and New Zealand. This community of breeders is responsible for developing some of the world’s most profitable and sustainable beef cattle and that’s a story worth telling.
For those of you who couldn’t make the forum in Brisbane, this article seeks to give you some insights from a talk that I gave to the forum entitled “Angus for Every System”.
Foundations of Purpose and People
Angus Australia was founded by just 14 members, six of whom were based in Queensland. It was a time when cattle breeders recognised the need to collaborate, to share information, and to improve the breed together. The concept of ‘society’ is an important one—a collective of people working for a common purpose, a shared set of values, and a focus on the common good.
Today, that common good remains our guiding principle. As a not-for-profit organisation, Angus Australia reinvests every dollar earned back into member services, data infrastructure, extension, and genetic advancement. Our focus is not short-term profit, but long-term prosperity for family-owned and operated Angus enterprises.
That distinction matters. We exist to serve breeders – not shareholders. Our decisions aren’t influenced by quarterly profits or external corporate interests. Instead, we invest in tools and technologies that increase the profitability and sustainability of our members’ businesses.
A Decade of Digital Investment
Ten years ago, Angus Australia made a strategic decision to bring its data management and evaluation systems “in-house”. The angus.tech platform, now fully operational, is the result of a decade of investment in independence, security, and capability.
Today, Angus Australia manages:
- 3,017,979 total registered animals since 1919
- 1,453,351 herd book registered animals since 1919
- 439,638 genomic profiles
- 118,944 calf registrations in 2024 alone
- 743,690 performance records in 2024
- Over 9 million database searches annually
We have a dedicated team of programmers and data experts ensuring that our system is responsive, secure, and tailored to the needs of Australian breeders. Our data is not managed by a third party or hosted overseas. It is Australian-owned, operated, and governed, which ensures not only data sovereignty but also innovation on our terms.
One of the strengths of our system is its compatibility. We can work with ABRI for BREEDPLAN, deliver customised trait evaluations like Immundex in partnership with CSIRO, and collaborate on global projects such as the World Angus Evaluation (WAE). This flexibility ensures we stay ahead of global developments without losing our core focus: serving Angus breeders here at home.
Genetic Progress – Real Results, Measurable Change
Our data isn’t just numbers, it is proof of progress. Because of decades of disciplined, consistent on-farm data collection by breeders, we can now chart the genetic improvement of Angus cattle across 25 years with remarkable clarity.
Here are just a few highlights from our phenotypic trends:
- 200-day weight (bulls): increased from 256kg to 277kg
- 400-day weight (bulls): increased from 427kg to 453kg
- 600-day weight (bulls): increased from 620kg to 654kg
- IMF % (bulls): improved from 3.3 to 4.8
- Gestation length: reduced by nearly 2 days on average
- Scrotal circumference: increased from 35.6cm to 36.6cm
- Fat depth and rib fat: also increased, supporting carcass quality goals
These aren’t theoretical projections. These are real-world changes recorded on-farm, under real conditions. They reflect what registered Angus cattle are actually achieving today compared to a generation ago.
This kind of progress doesn’t happen by accident. It is the result of breeder commitment to measurement, to performance recording, and to the continual pursuit of improvement.
The Angus Premium Is Real, Proven, and Measurable
We often talk about the “Angus Premium” – the market recognition of Angus cattle based on their performance, consistency, and brand value. But what does that look like in practice?
Through a deep dive into AuctionsPlus data by our team (led by Economics graduate Harry Lynn) we uncovered clear and compelling insights:
- Purebred Angus cattle averaged $1,546/head
- All other purebred cattle averaged $1,336/head
- That’s an average premium of $210 per head, or 15.3% higher than other purebred types
Even when looking at median prices, the Angus advantage holds:
- Median price for Angus: $1,412
- Median for other breeds: $1,273
- A premium of $189 per head, or 15.8% above market
When nearly 12,000 Angus bulls sell at auction each year in Australia, and commercial breeders across the country make decisions based on profitability and market access, this premium matters. It’s a direct return on investment in registered Angus genetics.
Angus Penetration Across Australia
The reason the Angus premium exists is because Angus cattle deliver. They perform on grass or grain, in southern systems or the subtropics. This versatility has driven massive breed penetration across Australia.
Recent industry surveys and AuctionsPlus data show that Angus cattle now represent over 52% of the Australian beef industry. State by state, Angus presence is strong:
- Victoria & Tasmania: 88% Angus influence
- New South Wales: 72%
- South Australia: 69%
- Western Australia: 44%
- Queensland: 17%, but rising
This level of national coverage is unmatched and reflects the reality that there truly is an Angus for Every System.
Celebrating Commercial Success
Throughout the Neogen World Angus Forum, we showcased stories of real breeders achieving real results. People like James and Georgie Knight at The Sisters Pastoral Co., operating across 2,200 hectares and joining 1,300 females annually. James is one of the most commercially minded, data-driven producers I know, and it’s no surprise he helped initiate the GenAngus Future Leaders program.
Then there’s Ross and Jo Stanes at Lyndavale Station, running Angus genetics across over 1.7 million acres in the NT. From high rainfall zones to the arid interior, Angus is making a difference.
These stories aren’t outliers. They are representative of a breed and a community focused on continual improvement.
We also acknowledged the critical role of the Australian feedlot industry, which finishes over 50% of Australia’s beef and enables year-round supply to both domestic and export markets. At the Forum, we featured Thomas Foods International, a family-owned agribusiness and processor that integrates Angus genetics into its high-quality beef supply chain. With feedlots such as Southern Cross in Tintinara, capable of feeding 28,000 head, Thomas Foods is an example of how partnerships across the value chain – from breeder to beef brand – they deliver premium Angus beef to more than 85 global markets. The feedlot sector is essential to the Angus story, and its collaboration with our breeders ensures consistent product, market access, and continual quality improvement.
Looking Forward
Three years ago, I became CEO of Angus Australia. One of the first things I did was embark on a national listening tour. We held workshops in every state. I visited over 50 farms. We spoke with staff, directors, members. And together, we shaped a new five-year strategic plan.
At one meeting, past President Erica Halliday summed it up perfectly: “We want black backs across Australia.”
Simple. Powerful. And right.
That’s what this is about. Delivering genetics that create profitability and opportunity for cattle producers in every part of the country and increasingly, across the world.
The world is watching what we’re doing here in Australia. They see the data, the discipline, the innovation, and the Angus premium. And they want to be part of it.
So as we move through 2025 and beyond, let’s continue to build on what we’ve achieved. Let’s keep improving the value of registered Angus genetics. Let’s honour the legacy of those 14 original members and carry it forward with the same purpose.
Because now more than ever, we can confidently say:
There is an Angus for Every System.
