ANGUS YOUTH GAIN VALUABLE INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE AT 2026 NORTHERN ICMJ EVENT
Four Angus Youth members, supported by the Angus Foundation, were given the opportunity to attend the 2026 Northern Intercollegiate Meat Judging (ICMJ) event in Rockhampton. Delivered by the Intercollegiate Meat Judging Association, the event brought together more than 135 students and young red meat industry professionals from across Australia, providing a platform for practical skill development, industry engagement and exposure to career pathways across the red meat supply chain.
Representing Angus Australia, Charlotte Dendy, Poppy Starr, Ella Christie and Zoe Puls came together ahead of the program, meeting informally prior to the commencement of the week. The opening afternoon provided an opportunity to connect with competitors from across university and industry teams, establishing early networks that carried through the remainder of the event.
The program combined technical presentations, hands-on workshops and a series of competitive elements designed to test participants’ understanding of the beef supply chain. Day two featured presentations from a range of industry representatives, including Marg Will, who highlighted growth in the organic beef sector and emerging opportunities for northern producers to capture value through premium markets.
Tim Emery also presented, focusing on genetic selection in northern production systems. His session reinforced the importance of selecting bulls that are well aligned to producer’s breeding objective, production environment and target market. He also highlighted the role of Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) in supporting selection decisions, alongside visual assessment, to ensure cattle are both genetically and functionally suited to their production system.
These concepts fed directly into the practical components of the program, particularly the Hoof & Hook competition, where participants began applying their knowledge of live animal assessment and later in the week, carcase evaluation.
Day three built further technical depth, with attendees observing a full carcase breakdown. This provided valuable insight into cut-by-cook variation, yield distribution and value differences across primals and formed important preparation for the final day of competition. Workshops throughout the remainder of the day focused on carcase and primal judging fundamentals, retail cut identification and exposure to emerging processing technologies, with an emphasis on understanding how value can be optimised across the carcase.
The final day saw competitors enter the chillers at Teys Australia for the official competition. Across nine classes, participants were challenged on retail cut identification, carcase and primal judging, eating quality assessment and pricing exercises. The competition required participants to combine technical skill with commercial decision-making, particularly when aligning carcase attributes to market grids and pricing structures.
Beyond the competitive component, the event provided strong industry exposure and meaningful engagement across all segments of the red meat supply chain. Networking with peers, processors and industry representatives was a key feature of the week, alongside the development of practical skills in carcase evaluation, yield assessment and value determination.
The Angus Australia team was accompanied by Genetic Improvement Specialist Hanlie Jansen, who noted the value of integrating technical disciplines across the week.
“Bringing together genetics, carcase assessment and practical judging skills is an important part of building capability for the next generation of industry leaders,” said Hanlie Jansen.
Angus Australia extends its thanks to ICMJ and the event’s major sponsors for supporting youth participation and investing in the development of future leaders within the red meat industry.
