Robert Mackenzie on what it takes to produce world-class Australian beef

For Robert “Macka” Mackenzie, fourth-generation cattle farmer behind Macka's Australian Black Angus Pastoral & Beef, it comes down to the one-percenters.

In this episode of Straight To The Source, Tawnya Bahr invites Macka into the studio to explore the small decisions that add up to better beef, from premium Angus genetics and soil health to pasture management, sustainability, traceability and resilience.

Macka shares his journey from leaving school at 14 and growing up on the family farm to building an operation spanning more than 20,000 acres across eight New South Wales properties, with the fifth generation now involved.

They unpack how drought, bushfires and floods reshaped the business, driving investment in water infrastructure, fire preparedness and farm resilience. Macka also explains why healthy soil is central to the future of Australian cattle farming, and how rotational grazing, soil science and increasing soil carbon can improve water-holding capacity.

The conversation moves beyond the farm gate into the realities of building a branded beef business. Macka shares why provenance, traceability, animal welfare and sustainability matter to today’s consumers, how Macka's diversified into eight export markets, and how having its brand copied overseas accelerated its investment in paddock-to-plate traceability.

They also explore nose-to-tail value adding, from sausages, meatballs and dumplings to award-winning beef pies, alongside Macka's significant investment in Angus genetics, marbling, fertility and feed efficiency.

It’s a straight-talking conversation about Australian beef, Angus genetics, regenerative farming, soil carbon, sustainability, traceability, export markets and the future of farming.

Because great beef isn’t created by one big decision. It’s built through hundreds of small ones.

Resources

Meat and Livestock Australia https://www.mla.com.au/ Royal Agricultural Society https://www.rasnsw.com.au/ This episode is proudly presented by Seaway Logistics, local experts in global trade.

Learn More & Connect with Seaway.

Website: https://www.seaway.com.au/