Angus Foundation NH Foods 2025 cadet Declan Campbell spent a week at Whyalla Beef feedlot. Picture supplied

Growing up on his family's cattle property near Inglewood, Declan Campbell knew he wanted to be a vet - but the Angus Foundation-NH Foods Cadetship has shown him just how many opportunities the beef industry offers.

The 2025 cadet encouraged other young Angus enthusiasts to apply when the 2026 program opens this month.​

A past boarder at Downlands College, Toowoomba, Mr Campbell served as College Captain and was awarded both Dux and Best All-Rounder in 2024.

He deferred tertiary study to have a gap year working as a farmhand with Ben and Wendy Mayne at Texas Angus, Warialda, NSW.

As part of the cadetship, Mr Campbell spent a week at each of four NH Foods sites - the North Sydney head office, Wingham Beef Exports, Oakey Beef Exports and the Whyalla Beef feedlot - gaining a paddock‑to‑plate view of the supply chain.

Time with branding, marketing, production and logistics teams showed him how products were tailored and tracked for different markets around the world.​

“It was interesting to see the different market opportunities for each product, including offal, resulting in each individual beast being exported to so many different countries,” he said.

“Things like cooking techniques and socioeconomic status all affect export opportunities. There is a global demand for red meat so there will always be market opportunities with each product.”

At Wingham, Mr Campbell rotated through quality assurance, MSA grading, the boning room, sales, livestock management and the Glenyarra holding property, where treated effluent and wastewater is reused to grow lucerne and forage crops for hay.

His week at Whyalla Beef, Smithlea, one of Australia’s largest feedlots with a team of more than 140 staff and a 75,000‑head licence, proved a real eye opener.

“It shocked me going in because I've been to plenty of feedlots before,” he said.

“You expect it to be bigger, but it's just on another scale all together.”

The visit highlighted the high priority given to animal health and welfare, with fine tuning of daily rations and regular vet checks, “making sure they're looked after right through the process”.

The last stop at Oakey included time with the quality assurance team, government vets working on site who check off every animal before slaughter, and inspectors who assess meat products right through the production chain.

The cadetship also included a place in the prestigious Marcus Oldham Rural Leadership Program at Geelong.

Mr Campbell described it as “a big week” that yielded 36 new connections with people in different agriculture sectors across Australia.

“It helped us to understand our own individual leadership styles and how best to apply those to our workplaces,” he said.

After completing his gap year, Mr Campbell will embark on a veterinary science degree at the University of Queensland this year, with the goal of becoming a large animal vet.

• More information about the cadetships is available at www.angusaustralia.com.au

This article appeared in Summer Angus, published in ACM agricultural publications, The Land, Queensland Country Life, Stock & Land and Stock Journal.