Advertise on podcast: The Weekly Grill

IN today's episode, host Kerry Lonergan sits down with the 2026 Zanda McDonald Award winners: New Zealander Karn Dhaliwal, a former rural banker turned diversified agribusiness entrepreneur who is developing opportunities in dairy beef, and Australian Bryce Neyland, an engineer leading large-scale almond and macadamia projects. They discuss practical farm management, strategic planning, leadership, dairy-beef opportunities and lessons from their mentoring tour around Australia.                 The Weekly Grill is brought to listeners by: Rhinogard and Bovi-Shield MH-One - the One Shot, One Spray, One Time BRD Vaccines by Zoetis. Ceres Tags Gen 6

IN today's episode, host Kerry Lonergan sits down with Louise Martin, president of the Isolated Childrens' Parents' Association.     Louise explains how rising boarding costs and reduced government support are forcing rural families to leave home for their children’s education. The ICPA is calling for a one-off $24 million boost to the Isolated Children Boarding Allowance to help close the gap and keep communities viable. The episode also covers distance education, teacher shortages, the impact of moving the allowance to the Social Services portfolio, and how education costs affect workforce retention and the future of remote towns.   The Weekly Grill is brought to listeners by: Rhinogard and Bovi-Shield MH-One - the One Shot, One Spray, One Time BRD Vaccines by Zoetis. Ceres Tags Gen 6

IN today's episode, host Kerry Lonergan sits down with one of the keynote speakers at the recent BeefEx conference -  retired Australian Armed Forces Brigadier, Professor Ian Langford.   Prof Langford draws parallels between military leadership and intensive beef production, explaining how discipline, clear objectives, and strong culture drive performance in feedlots, and across the broader beef industry. Among other topics, their conversation covered resilience, contingency planning, biosecurity, supply‑chain risks, and the importance of people and evidence-based communication for sustaining profitable and secure agriculture.     The Weekly Grill is brought to listeners by: Rhinogard and Bovi-Shield MH-One - the One Shot, One Spray, One Time BRD Vaccines by Zoetis. Ceres Tags Gen 6

In today's episode of The Weekly Grill host Kerry Lonergan sits down with a geographically diverse group of lotfeeders attending last week's BeefEx grainfed industry conference, to discuss the current feedlot operating environment, the impacts from the rapidly drying seasonal conditions, grainfed beef trade outlook and the challenges and opportunities they see lying ahead. Among the cohort Kerry speaks to are Emily Perkins from Ravensworth, Caitlin Herbert from Gundamain; Geoff Cornford from Sandalwood, Lachie, Robin & Ali Hart from Stockyard,  Don Mackay who is leading a new northern feedlot development project and technology provider Trevor Gartner from Vytelle Sense Group, about the opportunities in selecting feeder cattle for feed efficiency and low methane.   The Weekly Grill is brought to listeners by: Rhinogard and Bovi-Shield MH-One - the One Shot, One Spray, One Time BRD Vaccines by Zoetis. Ceres Tags Gen 6

In today's episode of The Weekly Grill host Kerry Lonergan sits down with big thinking US lotfeeder, Dr. Kee Jim. Dr Jim was a keynote speaker at Beef Ex 2026. He discusses his company's vision, the challenges, and benefits of building a modern 200,000‑head feedlot in Nebraska.  He covers supply strategies including dairy‑beef programs, impacts of low US cattle numbers, trade and import challenges, environmental regulation and manure management, and how scale drives efficiency in modern feedlot production.

In this week's episode Kerry Lonergan catches up with Professor Derrell Peel of Oklahoma State about the U.S. beef market: record‑high prices amid multi‑decade low cattle inventories, limited herd rebuilding, and the roles of drought, feedlot practices and profitability. Professor Peel also discusses rising imports for lean grinding beef, trade disruptions with Mexico and Canada, Brazil’s growing production, and why short‑term policy moves are unlikely to quickly change supply or retail prices.   The Weekly Grill is brought to listeners by: Rhinogard and Bovi-Shield MH-One - the One Shot, One Spray, One Time BRD Vaccines by Zoetis. Ceres Tags Gen 6

In today’s episode, podcast host Kerry Lonergan interviews veteran cattle industry stakeholder, stock agent and bush poet Dennis Scanlon about his career in Australia’s beef industry — from sale yards and abattoirs to roles with Elders and the earliest days of Computer Aided Livestock Marketing (CALM, now AuctionsPlus), and its predecessor, New England Livestock Computer Marketing (NELCM). Along his career path he also served lengthy periods with the Australian Agricultural Co (livestock manager) and Elders (National Livestock manager). An accomplished pianist and recognised bush poet, this episode also features Dennis performing two of his works, “Women from the Bush” and “Bush Justice,” as well as discussing changes in cattle breeds, stock handling and marketing over the decades.   The Weekly Grill is brought to listeners by: Rhinogard and Bovi-Shield MH-One - the One Shot, One Spray, One Time BRD Vaccines by Zoetis. Ceres Tags Gen 6

Western Australian cattle vet Enoch Bergman has become a prominent campaigner for better understanding and management of pestivirus - a disease costing the industry an estimated $100 million each year. In this interview with podcast host Kerry Lonergan and Beef Central's Jon Condon, he talks through latest approaches to disease management and prevention, including greater levels of pesti screening as part of  broader genomic testing work.   He also outlines results from a recent study into Bovine Respiratory Disease, and offers some comment about the risks to the protein industry from the recent arrival of H1N1 Bird Flu, and how the industry is seeking to attract more young vets into large animal practises in the bush.   The Weekly Grill is brought to listeners by: Rhinogard and Bovi-Shield MH-One - the One Shot, One Spray, One Time BRD Vaccines by Zoetis. Ceres Tags Gen 6

In this episode Kerry Lonergan speaks with Paul Holmes a Court of the Heytesbury Group about his company's purchase of Livestock Express’s 11‑ship fleet, the strategic reasons behind the acquisition, and how it supports the northern live export trade and the broader Australian beef In May,  Heytesbury took delivery of 11 livestock vessels previously operated by Livestock Express, in a significant transaction that places a major part of Australia’s live export supply chain back into Australian hands. On other topics, Mr Holmes a Court talks about the genetic direction being taken on Heytesbury's Victoria River Downs, in a region where Wagyu bulls are being seen with increasing frequency, the sequence of excellent seasons the VRD region has experienced, and his ongoing confidence in the live export trade.   The Weekly Grill is brought to listeners by: Rhinogard and Bovi-Shield MH-One - the One Shot, One Spray, One Time BRD Vaccines by Zoetis. Ceres Tags Gen 6

Host Kerry Lonergan and live-trade veteran Patrick Underwood caught up recently to examine the current state of Northern Australia’s live export trade, covering rising Darwin cattle prices driven by tightening supply, currency pressures from a weak rupiah, and Indonesian market controls. They discuss alternative supplies (Indian buffalo meat), growing interest in buffalo exports, shifts from Brahman to crossbreeding/Wagyu influence, and the mixed prospects for cotton and carbon projects in the north. The episode also addresses shipping fuel costs, the stability from recent ship ownership changes, the potential of markets like Vietnam, and the urgent need for continued vigilance against diseases such as lumpy skin disease and foot-and-mouth. Listeners should note that because of Brisbane Ekka podcast commitments, some of the specific live export pricing and activity references in this interview may be a little dated.

Host Kerry Lonergan reports from the Brisbane Exhibition as the International Charolais Congress brings around 120 delegates and nearly 270 Charolais cattle to the ring. Interviews with Charolais Australia CEO Colin Rex and breeders from Canada, the United States and Europe cover the breed's role as a terminal sire, adaptability to different environments, market demand, rising carcass weights, and advances in genomics and feed efficiency. The episode highlights global networking, strong bull sales, export markets and how Charolais genetics are shaping crossbreeding programs worldwide.   The Weekly Grill is brought to listeners by: Rhinogard and Bovi-Shield MH-One - the One Shot, One Spray, One Time BRD Vaccines by Zoetis. Ceres Tags Gen 6

Join Kerry Lotting as he interviews Terry Nolan of Nolan’s Meats about his family’s beginnings in a Gympie butcher shop and how hard work, relationships and bold decisions built a major processing business. Terry  was guest speaker at the Queensland Rural Press Club's annual Ekka breakfast in Brisbane this morning - a gathering of more than 800 stakeholders.   Terry and his family are close to finalising the sale of their Nolan Meats processing business to Hewitt, making his Brisbane presentation a fitting bookend to the family 70-year contribution to the industry. He touches on wide ranging topics, ranging from the power of relationships to the value of being involved in industry representation. He shares his views on the likely future direction of lotfeeding in Australia, the lasting legacy left by Meat Standards Australia, the dangers involved in 'group-think' and some of the people who 'made a difference' in developing the modern day Australian beef industry.   The Weekly Grill is brought to listeners by: Rhinogard and Bovi-Shield MH-One - the One Shot, One Spray, One Time BRD Vaccines by Zoetis. Ceres Tags Gen 6

In this episode Kerry Lonergan chats with Mike Stevens, principal of Meridian Agriculture and one of Australia’s leading succession planning experts. They discuss why succession planning must start early, why people and family communication come first, and how legal, tax and ownership structures should follow careful family decisions. Mike shares real-life success and failure stories, common mistakes to avoid, and practical steps for rural families to protect farm viability and fairly manage expectations across generations.   The Weekly Grill is brought to listeners by: Rhinogard and Bovi-Shield MH-One - the One Shot, One Spray, One Time BRD Vaccines by Zoetis. Ceres Tags Gen 6

In today's episode of The Weekly Grill, host Kerry Lonergan chats with regular market experts Chris Howie and Matthew Dalgleish about how current weather patterns — including an emerging El Niño — are affecting feed, regional conditions and livestock supply across Australia. They review cattle and sheep herd numbers, slaughter trends, meatworks capacity, rising lamb prices, the growth of sheep feedlots, MSA grading and EID technology, and discuss short-term buying strategies... and more       The Weekly Grill is brought to listeners by: Rhinogard and Bovi-Shield MH-One - the One Shot, One Spray, One Time BRD Vaccines by Zoetis. Ceres Tags Gen 6

In this episode Kerry Lonergan interviews Felicity Richards, Chair of FarmSafe Australia, about recent on‑farm fatality statistics, leading causes (quad bikes, side‑by‑sides and tractors), and common contributing factors such as lack of helmets/seatbelts, speed, and unsafe mounting/dismounting. In the lead up to Farm Safety Week, the conversation covers vulnerable groups (older farmers and young children near water), the role of fatigue and mental health, and prevention strategies including protective gear, operator protection devices, safe procedures and better inductions. Felicity highlights FarmSafe campaigns like “Second Chance” and the new “Set the Standard.” Listeners are urged to share safety stories, use available toolbox resources, and visit farmsafe.org to find Farm Safety Week events and practical tools to protect families and workers. Farm Safety Week takes place from 16 to 25 July 2026     The Weekly Grill is brought to listeners by: Rhinogard and Bovi-Shield MH-One - the One Shot, One Spray, One Time BRD Vaccines by Zoetis. Ceres Tags Gen 6