THE best in Queensland's red meat industry are being urged to nominate for the prestige 2015 Beef Industry Awards with winners set to be announced at a gala dinner at Beef Australia on Monday, May 4.
The awards are a joint initiative between Rabobank and Queensland Country Life, and entrants can either nominate themselves or be nominated by others in the industry.
Four categories are featured including the popular Queensland Country Life Red Meat Achiever, which recognises an industry stakeholder who has contributed significantly to the betterment of the overall Australia beef industry.
"Previous winners have come from fields including research and development, industry advocacy, processing, lot feeding and the supply chain development," QCL general manager John Warlters said. "We promote these awards to acknowledge the hard-working people within our industry and give them due recognition, and it is usually those who otherwise would not seek any limelight.
"We first introduced this award at Beef 97, and the inaugural winner was Woolworths meat executive, Phil Morley.
"Other previous winners include David Crombie, Larry Acton and Don Heatley, just to name a few."
There is also the Rabobank Young Beef Ambassador, open to nominees aged between 21 and 25 years.
These nominees must be currently working in a successful and progressive farming business.
The winner of this award will attend the prestige Rabobank Farm Managers Program, a week-long intensive business training course for farm managers who aim to run or take ownership of a farming business.
Previous winners of this award include Rockhampton born and bred Sarah Becker, who was selected from high-calibre young industry leaders for her commitment in
a senior management role in her family's rural chartered accounting business, along with managing the family's Jarrah Cattle Company, near Banana in central Queensland.
The MLA Genetic Improvement Award is to open to a commercial beef producer who best demonstrates a commitment to genetic improvement in their herd.
In addition to the above categories, the Australian Registered Cattle Breeders Association will present its R.W. Vincent Award in recognition of outstanding contributions to the beef cattle breeding industry.