Stock & Land Beef Week, the nation's biggest and most successful event of its type, is to expand with an additional beef week in spring following demand from seedstock and commercial producers.
The first Spring Beef Week will be from August 24 to 28 this year to be followed by the traditional Autumn Beef Week from January 28 to February 4 next year.
"Stock & Land Beef Week has been providing seedstock producers throughout Victoria and the Riverina with opportunities to display and market their cattle since 1992 and despite drought conditions the most recent beef week earlier this year covered 232 properties, the third largest in the 16 year history of the event," said Beef Week chairman Allen Snaith.
With many producers changing to spring calving and with a growing number of spring bull sales the beef week committee has responded to requests to have a spring beef week.
However, the committee did not make the decision in haste considering many options and following a survey of all 2007 participants.
Of those who responded 43% said they would participate in a spring beef week as well as autumn beef week which means that close to 100 studs can be expected to enter in spring.
"Interestingly, only a few said they would switch from autumn to spring therefore we can still expect in excess of 200 participants in the traditional autumn event next year," he said.
The survey also revealed that in the drought affected 2007 beef week, 62% of properties had 31 or more visitors while 24% had 51 or more.
Stock & Land has been appointed naming sponsor indicating the importance of the event to the beef cattle industry in south east Australia according to Stock & Land's general manager Colin Baulch.
"Stud Beef Victoria founded Beef Week for the benefit of seedstock producers and their clients and will serve its purpose even better now with two events a year," said Mr Baulch.
Studs from all Victorian districts have responded positively to the news of two beef weeks and many will participate in both.
Alec and Jo Moore from Weeran Angus in the western district will participate in both beef weeks because they now have on property bull auctions in both autumn and spring with their first spring bull sale on September 12 this year. "An increasing number of our clients now have with two joinings so we are responding to clients' wishes," said Jo.
Howard Yelland of Glentrevor Herefords at Berrigan, NSW, in the western Riverina said he would participate in both after three car loads of new potential bull buyers in addition to existing clients visited during beef week earlier this year.
Charolais breeders Jill and Rob Richardson of Langi Ghiran near Ararat were pleased with the response to their first beef week earlier this year and indicated they would go into both as it was an opportunity for more people to view their cattle.
Major Angus operation Lawsons at Yea will be going in both with Ruth Lawson indicating autumn beef week is great for displaying bulls and females in their up-coming autumn sale and would be good for spring sales. "We were pleasantly surprised at the number of people who attended beef week this year despite difficult conditions," she said.
Long time beef week supporters Ian and Ann Burnside of Cratloe Murray Greys at Sunbury indicated the two beef weeks would suit them as they use beef week to sell cattle privately. They sold six head at beef week earlier this year.
Just east of Melbourne Merv Spencer of Morningdale Limousins sells bulls in both autumn and spring so two beef weeks suit. "We will have a good line of 18 months old bulls on display and for private sale on our spring beef week day," said Merv.
Several Lowline studs strongly support the spring concept with Sally Herbig of Fairlawn stud indicating the spring weather is better and properties and cattle were much better presented in spring.
Another stud to enter the spring bull market is Welcome Swallow Angus at Benalla with their first on property bull sale on September 19. "We will have the catalogue of sale bulls on display on our spring beef week day so a spring beef week is ideal for our marketing program," said Suzy Martin.
Entry forms will be available on the www.beefweek.com.au in April and will also be included in an issue of Stock & Land next month.