Agricultural
2 June, 2026
Stockyard takes out state title
Jondaryan-based producer Stockyard Beef has been awarded its seventh Royal Queensland Branded Beef Grand Champion and its first since 2022.
Stockyard Kiwami (Wagyu) was named Grand Champion Branded Beef of Show, beating out 45 other entries, while Stockyard Gold (Angus) was awarded Champion MSA Graded Branded Beef of Show.
Stockyard Kiwami also secured gold in Class 4 – Wagyu AUS‑MEAT MB7+, with Stockyard Gold taking gold in Class 1 – Grain Fed Award.
The win followed Gold recognition across three categories at the Australian Wagyu Association Wagyu Branded Beef Competition in April.
Stockyard is arguably Australia’s most successful branded beef competitor, having earned an incredible 209 championships or gold medals in national taste-test competitions, dating back as far as 2000.
Chief Operations Officer of Pastoral and Livestock at Stockyard’s Kerwee feedlot Marcus Doumany said the achievement was a result of discipline and “doing the small things well on a consistent basis.”
“It’s been a good start to the Awards section at the AWA and obviously we did really well at the QA Awards with the Overall Champion. The whole business is very excited,” he said.
“The product stands out well above the competition.
“We pride ourselves on consistency and that’s why we always believe when entering (that) we’re in with a good shot.”
Mr Doumany said part of Stockyard’s success came as a result of a positive work environment at Kerwee.
“The award is an indication of how well our people are doing,” he said.
“We continue to invest in the site, and continue to invest in the people.
“A lot of the local community work here at Kerwee.
“We’ve got close connections with Jondaryan State School, and the Oakey Bears.”
These close connections come through people like Operations Manager Ben Schweitzer, who is President of the Oakey Bears and an active member of the Jondaryan State School community.
Other local leaders on the Kerwee team of 32 include Livestock Manager Corinne Cummings, Procurement Manager Brandon Gallagher, Feedmill Manager Marlon Hernandez, Livestock and Genetics Analyst Sarah Duffield, Pastoral Manager Ryan Smyth and CEO Lisa Sharp.
Over the last year, Kerwee has seen an investment in renewables, with a second solar grid being installed to serve the induction shed.
The feedlot industry is a consistent target of animal welfare vigilantes who often break into facilities to record footage of poor conditions.
But, Mr Doumany says he believes when it comes to animal welfare, Kerwee can holds its head high.
“All our pens are shaded and in terms of cleaning we run a very rigorous program,” he said.
“Our pens are cleaned once every 40 days, well ahead of industry standard.
“We’ve done a lot of work on our animal health with strong results over 18 months.”
Recent problems with cattle tick infestations crossing into Queensland’s tick free zones have not affected Kerwee greatly, Mr Doumany said.
“A lot of our cattle on the Angus front are sourced from NSW and Victoria. Our Wagyu is produced from tick areas in Queensland which already undergo checks.”
With reporting from Beef Central's Jon Condon.
