Contributed by Tom Copley, Copley Pastoral and YBPF 2025 Committee Chair, photos by Beef Central & YBF Committee
Over 300 delegates, sponsors and speakers poured into Roma for 2025’s Young Beef Producer’s Forum.
The program’s 21st year featured a stellar speaking lineup, kicked off by a live and interactive carcase breakdown at the Roma Saleyards, led by University of New England and ICMJ guru, Peter McGilchrist, and Kilcoy Global Foods’ Sophie Cooper.
This was followed by an introduction to business fundamentals, led by David Cornish and Nic Howard from Marcus Oldham College, and a keynote from Cobram Estate’s Rob McGavin, who provided delegates with a fascinating insight into his journey building one of Australia’s most successful and recognisable brands.
Other speaker highlights included a panel on Perceptions of the Beef Industry, featuring Beef Central’s Eric Barker and sports dietician Peta Carige, and an exciting crew of younger contributors, including Teek Carmichael, JBS’ Caitlyn Barton & Bush Agribusiness’ Harry Evans.
The Thursday Cocktail Night featured a charity auction in the Roma Saleyard sale ring, with the proceeds from this year’s charity auction will be donated to the Royal Flying Doctors Service (Queensland Section). Almost $25,000 was raised, demonstrating a very real commitment from the youngest members of the industry to the one of regional and remote Australia’s most critical and cherished services.
Family producers Carl & Judi Bain conveyed to the delegates their messaging around strong planning and commitment. Their business’ emphasis on understanding their numbers, from herd, land and cashflow perspectives, and using this analysis to make well informed decisions providing great reinforcement to the Marcus Oldham business fundamentals session.
Young gun Jimmy Bellingham, Bellingham Contracting, also impressed delegates with his humorous and considered retelling of his journey so far, from working as a ringer in northern Australia, and developing his own contracting business, which now spans across three states and multiple stockcamps.
The Brahman breed was well represented at YBPF by the Copley Pastoral stud, including a presentation from Doctor James Copley, describing his journey. There was otherwise a strong showing from studs, northern producers and hands, all of whom are familiar with the benefits associated with working with the best tropically adapted breed.
The delegates heard many great ideas and calls for action on business principles, innovation, and pathways into agriculture – leading to much post-YBPF rumination on the drive home regarding their own paddock to possibilities.
One takeaway from the event was that operating a herd with Brahman influence in a tropical or sub-tropical environment still represents one of the best, most sustainable ways to counter many of the various environmental, regulatory and cost-based restrictions the industry faces now and the immediate future.
The breed must remain united in advancing this proposition to the beef industry at large and continue to lead the way in northern Australia. With the steady march of European and Wagyu genetics into northern Australia to take advantage of pricing discrepancies, we must continue to advocate for the future of a breed which revolutionised the viability of the northern cattle industry – regardless of preferences for colours, management systems or pedigrees.
YBPF caters to participants from 18 to 35 years, including those working on and off-farm, and in family and corporate beef operations, and represents an annual powerhouse of educational and networking opportunities for young beef producers from right across Australia. All are encouraged to attend in 2026 and hopefully take home the seed of an idea in your own journey of paddock to possibility.
