The Weekly Grill

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

The Weekly Grill is brought to listeners by:

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:

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: