Context
Since July 2024, Marie-Pierre ELLIES has been conducting research at the AgResearch Institute in Palmerston North, New Zealand, as part of the RUMQUAL International Associated Laboratory ‘Real time assessment and modelling of meat QUAlity from RUMinants’. This laboratory, supported by Bordeaux Sciences Agro, INRAE and AgResearch, aims to assess and model the quality of ruminant meat in order to promote sustainable production that meets consumer expectations.
Effective control of meat quality and authenticity requires rapid and sensitive tools, which are currently limited in the industry. New analysis technologies, such as REIMS (rapid evaporation ionisation mass spectrometry), offer promising potential. This method makes it possible to establish a fingerprint of the samples analysed, making it easier to differentiate them according to breed, rearing method or predicted quality. AgResearch, a key partner in the project, is a world leader in this emerging field. Prediction models developed in the laboratory now enable us to estimate the ultimate pH, omega 3 and 6 content and tenderness of meat at slaughter, with an error of less than 2%. These advances provide industry with invaluable tools for optimising rearing, feeding, slaughtering and maturation conditions, thereby contributing to an overall improvement in the quality of meat products.
As meat quality is closely linked to rearing conditions, it is essential to look at the practices in place in New Zealand. This country, renowned for its extensive grass-fed farming model, offers a unique setting in which the interactions between feed, animal welfare and meat product quality can be studied on a large scale.
Farming in New Zealand
Ruminant farming in New Zealand is essentially based on an extensive grazing system. Thanks to a temperate climate, regular rainfall and fertile grasslands, the country offers ideal conditions for feeding cattle and sheep on grass all year round. Pastures are farmed using an intensive, rotational management model, where flocks are moved frequently to optimise grass regrowth and maximise productivity. This system limits external feed inputs, thereby reducing the costs and environmental footprint of production. New Zealand livestock farming is also based on rigorous genetic selection and strict health monitoring, guaranteeing robust animals and efficient production. Grass is the mainstay of the diet, but certain supplements (silage, hay) can be used in periods of forage shortage. This approach produces low-cost meat and milk that is highly competitive on the international market.
Although grazing is at the heart of the system, New Zealand also has a large fattening centre where certain animals, particularly young cattle destined for premium export markets, are fed a very high concentration of feed to speed up their finishing. This dual model combines the sustainability of grazing with the targeted intensification of fattening.
Visit to the ANZCO site in Ashburton, New Zealand: a different approach to beef farming
The ANZCO site at Ashburton (5 star farm) focuses on fattening young cattle, mainly Angus or Angus-Herford crosses. Each year, this site fattens around 40,000 animals, purchased from 250 partner farms between the ages of 14 and 24 months. The animals then spend 120 days on the site, during which time they are fed a dry ration of around 15 kg of dry matter per day. This ration consists mainly of wheat, as well as maize silage, ryegrass or alfalfa hay, barley, molasses, rapeseed meal, potato starch and minerals. The feed is produced locally, which helps to reduce the site’s environmental footprint.
The cattle reach a carcass weight of around 370 kg, corresponding to around 160 kg of meat, after an average daily gain of 1.5 to 2 kg per day in the fattening phase and a carcass yield of 54%. The carcasses are destined for the Japanese premium market, renowned for its high standards of quality and traceability. The site does not use antibiotics or growth promoters to fatten the animals.
The aim of the visit was to gain a better understanding of this intensive production system and to explore the possibilities for collaboration between Bordeaux Sciences Agro and ANZCO Foods. This type of farming, although very different from our French practices, offers an interesting perspective on the diversity of production models and the challenges associated with exporting to demanding markets. Understanding these systems can also enrich our thinking on the future of sustainable livestock sectors in a global context. While the aim is not to reproduce this type of model, we can learn from it to adapt and strengthen our own practices in terms of both quality and sustainability.
Contacts
- ELLIES-OURY Marie-Pierre
- Full Professor