The Vella dream expansion
The Vella family, Kurt, Beau, Kayla, Leah and Ray at Breadalbane Plains, Proserpine.
By Kent Ward
In the words of Ray Vella, “I am man of my word”.
True to this statement Ray has catapulted his family and their sugar, beef and seedstock business into a new stratosphere with the recent acquisition of the NCC Brahman Stud herd.
“I knew the NCC genetics, we’d utilised them before and I knew we could trust and rely on these the success of the genetics in this climate and environment so we jumped at the opportunity. At the same time, it (the private sale) allowed us to fast track our expansionary vision for our herd.” “We've been fortunate enough to have travelled the world and we have probably have the best Brahman cattle on our doorstep.”
Ray his wife Leah and their children Kurt, Kayla and Beau operate one of the families’ sugarcane and cattle operations in the Whitsundays, north of Mackay. Breadalbane Plains, Proserpine, produces 70,000 to 80,000 tonnes of sugarcane and is the home to 3000 commercial cattle and until recently a 150 head Brahman stud herd.
Nestled in a 1000mm rainfall belt, Breadalbane Plains covers some 4046ha (10,000 acres) and will be the home of the newly acquired NCC cattle that involves all the breeding sires, the entire female herd, young sire aspirants, imported and frozen embryos and all IVF progeny.
“Over the last twenty years we have been breeding our own Brahman bulls to be utilised in our commercial herd gathering genetics from Australia and the US. With the recent purchase of the NCC herd, we have the ability to fast forward our vision and dream exponentially.”
The third-generation cattle and sugarcane grower said, “Our main goal for the stud is to continue to maintain the quality and efficiency of our herd. The longevity of our herd is also of high importance.” Ray expanded on the subject saying, “With the selection of the appropriate genetic traits we aim to ensure our herd to be productive one with minimal inputs for performance. I can’t stress enough that breeding cattle in a tropical environment with a high rainfall is one of the hardest environments to tackle, therefore when people purchase cattle off the coast, they will have the ability to adapt and perform in whichever environment they are used to with ease.”, “Looking forward, I’d like to rear and prepare our own cattle on more of a forage and pasture-based diet with a lower percentage of grain in their ration.”
Ray is no stranger to embracing new challenges and frontiers. In 2012 after being awarded an Australian Nuffield Farming Scholarship, he travelled the world for 18 weeks researching his preferred study topics of beef genetics and pasture management, whilst investigating various methods of genetic selection.
Backing his faith and long-term belief in the Brahman breed Ray added, “We’re a young passionate family dedicated to breeding quality cattle. I’ve had the opportunity to travel the world looking at cattle and programmes and systems. That has given me complete faith in the Brahman breed and I’ve come to the conclusion that the Brahman is one of the best, most functional, low input breeds we have at our disposal.” “The future for the herd, will be to slowly invest in poll genetics, while embracing both genomics and carcase traits.”
It was also recently announced that the Vella prefix has joined the vendor ranks of the Annual Great Northern Brahman Sale. The sale will be conducted at the Proserpine Showgrounds on the 24th and 25th October comprising around 70 grey and 40 red bulls along with 40 grey and 10 red heifers.
One feels Ray’s favourite saying “I am man of my word” will ring loud and clear in the years to come with plans for a branded grass-fed Brahman beef product, a gradual herd expansion, pasture improvements together with advanced nutritional supplementation and the introduction of feedlot systems.