Australia: beef from dairy gains traction as a pathway to valorize non-replacement calves

A joint initiative by Dairy Australia and MLA, known as CalfWays, aims to transform the management of non-replacement dairy calves by integrating them into the beef supply chain. The goal is that by 2035, all calves not needed for herd replacement will have a viable commercial pathway, primarily as beef cattle.

With more than one million dairy calves born each year in Australia, the potential impact is significant. The program seeks to improve animal welfare, sustainability and productivity outcomes, reducing practices such as early euthanasia while creating new revenue streams for producers.

The strategy focuses on stronger supply chain coordination and the use of tools such as sexed semen, genomic selection and targeted breeding to better align production with market demand.

Consumer trials by Meat Standards Australia indicate that beef from dairy systems can achieve competitive eating quality, while its integration also supports emissions reduction goals by distributing the environmental footprint between milk and beef production.