Cattle Australia

Last week, Regional Consultative Committee representative, Kari Moffat, attended the Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) BeefUp Forum at Kidman Springs, Northern Territory. As well as being a great opportunity to catch up with producers in the north, this two-day event featured updates from CA, market insights, R&D progress and paddock tours of Victoria River Research Station.   Thank you to the Industry Northern Territory and MLA for organising such a great event. 

Cattle Australia Board Director, Elke Cleverdon, and Policy Manager Environment and Sustainability, Katelyn Lubcke, attended the Southern Australian Livestock Research Council (SALRC) Conference in Albury, NSW, last week. A range of speakers shared insights on the theme of ‘environmental challenges and opportunities for Australian livestock industries’, covering topics such as sustainability, carbon, metrics, and consumer sentiment. The conference highlighted the importance of consistency in language and metrics to ensure what we are doing on-farm is being accurately measured and communicated to consumers.

Cattle Australia has welcomed Woolworths’ acknowledgement and support to continue working with beef producers and suppliers to develop appropriate sustainability definitions in the Australian context. In its annual report released on Wednesday, the supermarket giant announced it would interpret and apply appropriate sustainability definitions and assessments in the context of Australian supply chains, industry and geography. CA Chief Executive Officer, Dr Chris Parker, said given Australian beef producers already operate under some of the toughest and most extensive vegetation management laws in the developed world, this move was a win for producers and the environment. Read the full media release: https://lnkd.in/e-efhGzw

Our organisation is devastated by the passing of our former CEO, and one of agriculture’s finest leaders, Luke Bowen. Luke’s contribution to our industry, regional communities and as a friend and colleague cannot be understated. He was a remarkable person and our deepest sympathies are with Tracey and Luke’s family as they work through this unimaginable loss. Luke was instrumental to the establishment of Cattle Australia and we’re sure the nation’s grass fed cattle producers will dip their hats to one of our best today.

Are you a Cattle Australia member with big ideas on how to improve the grass-fed cattle sector, or want to represent the interests of your region? From Monday, 2 September, eligible members will be able to nominate candidates, and be nominated, for positions including: · Board Director – 2 positions · Regional Consultative Committee (RCC) – 8 positions Head to the CA website to learn more about the election process, nomination and voting eligibility, and how you can play a role in shaping the future of the grass-fed cattle industry 👉 https://lnkd.in/gaYbg8-z

Save the date! Cattle Australia’s Annual General Meeting will be held on Thursday, 21 November in conjunction with a Producer Day at Bective Station, Tamworth, NSW. Featuring a great line-up of speakers, the opportunity to learn about the historic Bective Station and some quality beef, it’s a day not to be missed. Mark it in your calendars - the CA Board, Regional Consultative Committee and CA team look forward to seeing you at Tamworth. More details coming soon. 

The Cattle Australia team was busy at the Royal Queensland Show last week, connecting with grassroots producers from all over Australia. As well as attending the Rural Press Club breakfast and RNA Paddock to Palate Awards Presentation, CA had a strong presence throughout the Ekka cattle judging action, including sponsoring the Junior Steer and Junior Led Heifer competitions. Congratulations to all the exhibitors of beef champions across the event – it’s promising to see the cattle industry in such a strong position. CA representatives at the Ekka included Chair, Garry Edwards; Deputy Chair, Adam Coffey; Board Director, David Foote; Director of Policy and Strategy, Ivar Bisseling; RCC representatives Kari-Melise Moffat and Cye Travers; and our two Membership and Sponsorship Officers, Sara Cue and Sam Parish.

Chair of the Cattle Australia Sustainability Working Group and Regional Consultative Committee Sub Region 5 member, David Allen, travelled to the McDonald’s headquarters in Chicago recently for a Farmer Advisory Panel. David took part in three days of discussions about sustainability and resilience for the global farming community, acknowledging companies like McDonald’s which help utilise 100% of the meat products we produce. He also benefited from tours of the Innovation Labs where McDonald’s tests its equipment and processes, and chatted with the Foresights Team about possible future trends.

It’s show time in the north and Regional Consultative Committee representative, Kari-Melise Moffat, has been amongst all the fun, attending both the Katherine Show and Royal Darwin Show. In addition to flying the CA flag at these events, Kari engaged in a Rabobank panel discussion about sustainability with the Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association, Cotton Australia and NT Farmers, facilitated by the NT Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade. Kari said rural shows offer a fantastic opportunity to engage with the local community and bridge the rural-city divide. “I've been participating in Rabobank's Ag Hub at these events for a few years now, and it's a wonderful initiative to be involved in," she said. CA was also proud to sponsor a class in the cattle competition at the Royal Darwin Show. 

Membership and Sponsorship Officer, Sam Parish, headed across the Bass Strait late last week to catch up with beef producers in Launceston. Sam kicked off his time in Tasmania at a dinner hosted by Angus Australia, where it was wonderful to engage with Angus seed stock producers, Angus Australia Board Director and Landfall Angus stud principal, Ed Archer, and Angus Australia CEO, Scott Wright. Sam said the evening featured some great feedback and discussion around a range of topics, and of course, a delicious steak. Sam then attended the Red Meat Updates on Friday, where he chatted with producers, TasFarmers Meat Council Member, Paul Saward, and CA Regional Consultative Committee representative, Richard Sutton. “The Red Meat Updates featured a quality line-up of very informative speakers, with a fantastic crowd of over 300 beef and sheep producers from all over Tassie in attendance,” Sam said. “Overall, it was a great few days in the south, and wonderful to see Tassie looking a lot greener than when I was there in autumn.” Sam is back in New South Wales this week, and will be out and about at The Land Southern Beef Week.