Peak grassfed cattle producer group Cattle Australia is looking to set up a regional consultative committee to guide it on advocacy priorities, consultation with members at a grass-roots level and engagement of broader society.
The idea is to replace its current policy advisory council with the new committee, which will be made up of seven members appointed by State Farming Organisations and 15 elected from sub regions.
CA chair David Foote explained the change was the result of a limited constitutional review and it was hoped the amendments would be approved at an extraordinary general meeting which has been called for October 4.
An information session to explain the changes has been scheduled online for September 25 from 6pm.
The limited review is a separate body of work to the full constitutional review, which is set to take place in late 2024.
Interim chief executive officer Adam Coffey, also a director of CA, said: "We are excited about the amendments in terms of energising this organistion to get the producer involvement we need to really carry us into the future."
Mr Coffey, speaking from Jakarta where he was part of a beef industry delegation on live exports, said the issue around skin lesions in live-ex cattle destined for Indonesia was high on the agenda for CA.
"We are hearing there are large amounts of cattle currently being deemed not fit for export so a key issue for us is seeking more clarification about what is in and what is out," he said.
He also made mention of the El Nino declaration, saying the important thing to remember was that livestock producers were no strangers to having to be resilient.
"Southern producers will now likely increase usual protection measures for their properties by managing fuel loads and ensuring they have adequate fire breaks," Mr Coffey said.
"With dryer conditions expected across the board, producers need to plan for the likelihood of increased fodder and supplement requirements with likely reduced availability.
"The current forecast period is to autumn 2024, however it is important to recognise most El Nio events last up to nine months."
Other CA business recently includes nominating for the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, which Mr Coffey said was in line with beef industry aspirations of being leaders in the space of environmental sustainability.
Mr Foote also reported CA was very active in lobbying for a guarantee the federal government's proposed biosecurity levy would involve strong input from producers in terms of how the funds were administered.
The concern is the money could be swallowed up in existing programs, or even used to prop up a Department of Agriculture with widely-documented financial woes.
Meanwhile, the process to find a suitable candidate for the chief executive role at CA, following the resignation of Luke Bowen, was now underway, Mr Foote said.
- Check the CA website or call 1300 653 038 for details of both tonight's meeting and the extraordinary general meeting.
- The Federal Government's drought resilience programs can be found at: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/agriculture-land/farm-food-drought/drought#toc_1.
- Producers can join Rural Minds Workshops at: https://rrmh.com.au/our-programs/rural-minds/
Shan Goodwin
Shan Goodwin steers ACM’s national coverage of the beef industry. Shan has worked as a journalist for 30 years, the majority of that with agricultural publications. She spent many years as The Land’s North Coast reporter and has visited beef properties and stations throughout the country and overseas. She treats all breeds equally. Contact 0427686187. E: s.goodwin@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Shan Goodwin steers ACM’s national coverage of the beef industry. Shan has worked as a journalist for 30 years, the majority of that with agricultural publications. She spent many years as The Land’s North Coast reporter and has visited beef properties and stations throughout the country and overseas. She treats all breeds equally. Contact 0427686187. E: s.goodwin@austcommunitymedia.com.au
