A blue ribbon performance by Colinta Holdings at this year’s Royal Queensland Show (Ekka) cattle judging was also a “win” for successful coexistence of mining and agriculture.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Colinta Holdings, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Glencore’s Australian coal business, made a big statement in the Charolais and Charbray categories at Ekka.
Colinta Levi was crowned Grand Champion Charolais and went onto win the Warby Trophy Champion of Champions Breed Interbreed Pair bull, while Colinta also took out Grand Champion Charbray bull and Grand Champion Charbray female.
Colinta’s General Manager, Gary Johncock, said the Interbreed Pair honour was the pinnacle of success for the seed-stock producer.
“Colinta is committed to herd improvement, and the Brisbane Exhibition show ring provides an accurate benchmark on where we stand against best of breed,” Mr Johncock said.
“I believe we’re also demonstrating that it is possible to run a successful pastoral business alongside active mining operations.
“Our Grand Champion Charolais and Interbreed Pair bull, Colinta Levi, was bred on property that is surrounded by Glencore’s Liddell, Mt Owen and Ravensworth open cut mines in the Hunter Valley.
“We run 1000 stud and commercial Charolais and Charbray cows on what is peripheral mine land, and bulls from this property are used within our breeder herds in NSW and Queensland.
“Our feeder steers and heifers are also fattened on Glencore mine rehabilitation as well as the Bobadeen irrigation facility near Mudgee, which uses water from the Ulan underground mines to drive five centre point irrigators.”
Earlier this year, Colinta Levi was high-selling bull at the National Charolais Show and Sale at Dubbo. His sale price of $20,000 beat the 2016 top price of $17,000 paid for Colinta Krusty, the Brisbane Exhibition Senior Champion Charolais bull.
Mr Johncock also noted that Colinta’s honours in the Charbray category were taken out by cattle from the company’s Meteor Downs property, which is adjacent to Glencore’s Rolleston mine in the Queensland Bowen Basin.
Colinta occupies and manages more than 360,000 hectares of land owned by Glencore Coal across NSW and Queensland.
Less than 10 percent of this land is actually used for mining. Agricultural or pastoral use accounts for 80 per cent of the land use.
