For Jim's Jerky CEO Emily Pullen, a trip to Canberra has given her new insight into international and domestic market opportunities and challenges facing the beef industry.
Ms Pullen was last year named the Cattle Council of Australia's Beef Industry Rising Champion, a role that has opened doors including the chance to sit in on the Cattle Council of Australia's marketing, market access and trade committee.
"What it brings home to me is the complexity of the Australian beef industry," she said.
"I know quite a bit about the industry in Queensland but it's different in Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania... to form policy and get consensus across such a broad spectrum of producers is really challenging.
"A big take-home message for me is market access doesn't just happen.
"When you look beyond Australian shores, there are people consistently working to grow relationships and really develop the retail space in these countries.
"Every day I think there are changes to being able to access these markets... there's a lot of work going on all the time."
Ms Pullen said it was great to get a better insight into the marketing side of the beef industry.
"We often tend to thinking more about production... we breed great beef and we kill it in amazing facilities," she said.
Ms Pullen will travel to Brazil in May with Cattle Council of Australia CEO Margo Andrae and president Tony Hegarty to attend the International Beef Alliance conference.
"That again will just be next level insight into the Australian and international markets," she said.
She said she's grateful for the opportunities that being named Rising Champion has given her and would recommend the program to any young people in the industry.
