AN indelible 60-year contribution to the Australian meat and livestock industry ended on Thursday following the passing of John Keir, aged 76.
John spent a lifetime in the northern Australian livestock agency and later meat processing industry, rising through the ranks based on his astute understanding of cattle, production cycles, trading conditions, weather and seasonal patterns, international markets and the intricate web that holds all these factors together.
He grew up in the days prior to the wider adoption of liveweight scales, originally buying cattle on a dollars-per-head basis,…
