12 Aug, 1999 07:01 AM

WHILE careful not to provide shareholders with unrealistic expectations at last week’s annual meeting, RTC Agribusiness general manager David Kilpatrick urged shareholders to be patient as the company embarks on a restructuring process that will see it become a major stakeholder in the WA agribusiness sector. The company experienced an operating loss before tax of $1.85 million for the 12 months ending December 31, 1998, compared with a $453,000 operating profit for the previous period. During this time, the company increased its regional branch network to 11 centres through the establishment of businesses in Northam, Esperance and Kojonup, and expanded its agency network to 30. However, these initiatives, which positively contributed to the company’s market positioning and image, were not sufficient in generating substantial profitability in the short term. “These results and the financial position of RTC at the end of 1998 made it imperative that we identify and bring to fruition an opportunity to merge or aggregate RTC’s business with another suitable and complementary agribusiness organisation in order to improve our economies of scale,” RTC Agribusiness chairman Max Cameron said. Mr Cameron said a downturn in wool prices since November 1997, together with costs associated with expanding the service base, directly affected the company’s poor performance. To diminish the impact of those circumstances on the business, RTC has rationalised its wool marketing activities through an arrangement with Standard Wool Australia that involves the contracting out of its wool handling and storage facilities to the company. “We expect that changes in our wool handling activities, together with an anticipated recovery in the insurance and real estate arms of the organisation, will produce a significant turnaround in operating profits in the second half of 1999, which we believe will continue and strengthen in 2000,” Mr Cameron said. “This will be achieved through improved operational efficiencies, the enhancement of product and services range and increased financial activities.” Initially pessimistic after the company’s trading results for the previous financial period, shareholders showed their support towards the newly appointed Mr Kilpatrick, who presented a no-nonsense approach to the challenges ahead. “I have a tough job ahead of me, but I am confident that the businesses purchased through the merger will considerably add to the net profitability of the company,” he said. “We will proceed to create and implement solid growth strategies for each core operation of the business and believe that, once these have been put in place, we will be in a strong position to maintain a consistent and profitable base for future operations.” Mr Cameron, who expects the merger to be finalised in August, said it was necessary to address the future business strategies of the company and ensure there was an appropriate management structure to address ongoing management requirements and restructuring which might arise from the merger transaction. nHow the GST works, see farm business section, starting on page 22. (source: http://fw.farmonline.com.au)

Australia is not just about the city of Sydney and the grandiose Opera House. More than the famous kangaroos, koalas, trackers and the outback, the continent down under actually tops the list of every nature lover’s favorite escape to paradise.

Lismore Lismore is perfect for those looking for the chance to commune with nature. Because forests are all around and even within the city, avid hikers, trekkers and campers alike would love to immerse in the beauty of nature that is just a few minutes away from the city center. Credited as the birthplace of ecotourism, Lismore boasts of breathtaking waterfalls and national parks of World Heritage rainforests.

Aside from the usual nature adventure, tourists should not miss Organic Tuesday which is a showcase of everything that grows on the fertile volcanic soil that is officially certified organic. Kununurra Kununurra is a city no only for a rendezvous with nature but also for inspiration and motivation when everything else seems to go another way. When all else fails and the moral is so down and low, Kununurra and its story is sure to bring back the smile and the determination to make things work. Literally meaning Meeting of the Big Waters, Kununurra is a relatively new town in Australia. Contrary to most places which grew from small communities that gradually evolved into towns and cities and on the process developed a rich backdrop of culture and tradition, the city traces its history only a few decades back to the creation of the Great Ord River Irrigation.

The town was created, in the truest sense of the word, with the purpose of being the service town for laborers and farmers that were implanted to the area during the construction of the dam and the irrigation system. Sitting on arid lands, Australian government did not just resign to the fact that agriculture would not be feasible in the Western region. They then determined to challenge the adversities offered by nature.

Aside from the dam, they also factually created two man-made lakes to ensure that farmlands they aim to develop would never go dry. True enough, what used to be hot and warm landscape of barren lands, Kununurra now features croplands and greeneries as far as the eyes could see. Indeed, Australia never fails to keep surprising her visitors. Lismore and Kununurra are delightful desserts after a hearty serving of a taste of life in the outback.

About the Author

For accommodation in Australia please visit: Hotels in Austrlia. For more options: Sydney | Paris

A good steak comes from a cow that is bred for beef. Investigate and be sure the cows that the steaks are made from are from a line that is known for quality beef and are also fed corn. This will go a long way to insure that the beef is the best tasting beef you can find. The other important factor is the time when they are slaughtered. The ideal time to slaughter a cow is when it is between eighteen months and two years old. The highest grade of beef recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture is prime, which goes usually to the more expensive restaurants. Be sure that the beef you choose is always choice, which is the next level of quality after prime. If the cows are treated better it also makes the beef better. Make sure that the standards of safety for the company are very high. It means for the consumer that you know that the beef you buy is of a high standard, with good taste, and safe for you to eat. Consider all the special cuts of beef that are offered, and choose the one that’s right for your tastes. The Filet Mignon or tenderloin is the tenderest cut there is, and it has no bones. The mild flavor is a favorite among many connoisseurs. The T-bone steak has a bone in the middle shaped like a T. The Rib eye, also known as beauty, Spencer, or Delmonico steak, is full of juice and flavor. The New York Strip is lean and tender, full of flavor, and can be served with a bone or without one. Buy a quality steak and you are in for a special treat. A good steak is going to make you realize the difference between quality beef and the beef that is produced by other companies. Remember that to choose companies that start with the best cows that are bred for their beef, and then raised in the best conditions and slaughtered at the optimum time for the best quality beef. The science that goes into making sure that beef is as good as it can be works. If you are ready to taste quality, then you need to taste one of our steaks, and you will taste the difference. Soon you will only want our steaks, and you will not want to eat steak from anyone else. The United States Department of Agriculture graded choice beef that we use comes from the best cows, handpicked by our experts. The United States Department of Agriculture chooses beef that is of the highest quality to call choice, and you know that when you eat any beef from us that experts from the United States Department of Agriculture have put their seal of approval on the meat that you’re eating.

About the Author

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about this as well as Omaha Steaks online at http://www.primesteaksplus.com

Good beef starts with finding the right cow. The best time to slaughter a cow for beef is when the cow is between a year and a half and two years old. When the beef is the right color and texture you know that it is good quality.

The United States Department of Agriculture is responsible for helping consumers who are not able to follow a cow and make sure that the beef that they get is the right cut. The United States Department of Agriculture has a system of codes that they use to facilitate this process, and they use stamps of colored vegetable dye to mark pieces of beef.

The best rating is United States Department of Agriculture prime, which means that the beef is of the highest quality recognized by that body. The next levels, in order, are United States Department of Agriculture choice, United States Department of Agriculture select, United States Department of Agriculture standard, United States Department of Agriculture commercial, and United States Department of Agriculture utility, and United States Department of Agriculture cutter and canner. The best beef comes from young cows that are fed with special diet. Lower grades come from old cows and the diets that those cows were fed may not have been so specific. The uses to which a particular kind of beef can be put depend on the quality of the beef. For example, a high end restaurant should be expected to use prime, whereas processed beef products like sausages are usually made from United States Department of Agriculture cutter and canner. To prepare a steak to be cooked, store it in a dry place so that bacteria do not grow easily. If the beef is not going to be cooked soon after purchase it should be placed in new storage, taken out of the storage that was used by the store, and cooled in a fridge. When you are ready to cook beef that has been in the freezer it needs to be defrosted first, before it is ready to cook. This can be done best by letting the beef stand at room temperature. You can either cook your beef using wet or dry heat. Dry heat is good for the more tender cuts, but for the tougher cuts wet heat is good since it helps to soften the beef and make it more palatable. You can cook the beef for just a short period of time and serve it rare, or medium, or you can cook it much longer and it will be well done. This choice is up to the person who is going to eat the beef. Each person has his own preference, and the cook should find out how someone likes his beef before preparing it, so that he can plan the cooking. You want the meal to arrive hot and exactly the way the person wants it, so it takes some timing to get it right. There are limits for the sake of safety to how rare you can cook a piece of beef. Well done beef is actually the safest to eat, since you can be absolutely sure that all the bacteria have been killed during the long cooking time. If there is still some redness in the beef, as in the case of rare or medium rare, you have to be sure that the whole piece of beef has been heated enough to kill bacteria. If the middle part of the beef has not been heated to sufficient heat to kill the bacteria then the person eating it might get sick. You have to be very careful and make sure you know what you’re doing if you want to make a rare or medium rare steak. Well done beef however, is safe even for rookies to cook.

About the Author

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about this as well as quality steaks at http://www.primesteaksplus.com