Please see the attached copy of Jon Condon's Beef Central newsletter of 20 July 2011 http://www.beefcentral.com/news/recent-news/article/360 which sets out ideas for Industry Organisational Reform prepared by the Australian Meat Producers Group ("AMPG"), a think tank comprising of some of Australia's most experienced sheep and beef industry figures which was set up following the Armidale and Rockhampton Beef Forums last year to consider industry reform options.
There were major reviews of the red meat industry organisations in the 1960's, 1970's, 1980's and again in the 1990's when the current structures were put in place.
National and global economies and communications have changed significantly since the 1990’s and many feel that it is time for another review of our industry organisations.
Consequently there are moves at foot to convene a follow up to last year’s Armidale and Rockhampton Beef Forums in Brisbane later this year to discuss the reform options.
If you agree, disagree or have concerns about the need for industry organisational change, please take up Jon Condon's invitation and tell Beef Central what you think on the comment section in his newsletter, which can be found online at http://www.beefcentral.com/newsor by email to feedback@beefcentral.com with a cc to info @ beefforum.com.au so that we can also gauge the response to the proposed reforms.
If you are concerned about the future of your industry, now is the time to make your voice heard !
- The suspension of Live Export to Indoesia supports the concerns expressed at the beef industry forums held at Armidale, NSW and Paradise Lagoons, Rockhampton in 2010.
- The MLA and Cattle Council have become disconnected from their grass-root members.
- The recent Live Export debacle has re-enforced the notion that the MLA is answerable to no one, including their bosses, the Cattle Council of Australia.
- This reinforces the resolutions passed at the Armidale and Paradise forums to restructure the Red Meat Industry Organisations
- Since Paradise Lagoons, the organisers of the United Beef Group has been lobbying for this to happen.
- Meetings have been held with Agriculture Minister Ludwig and other government politicians and representatives.
- The resolutions passed at the forums have received considerable support from other sectors of the beef industry, including processors, agents and feedlotters who all share the same sentiments, ie, That the long term sustainability of the Australian beef industry is under threat.
- We have continued to push for a body that is democratically elected by the grass-roots producers.
- We expect our representative bodies to run a transparent operation and the beef industry can no longer afford to have our representatives disregard the very members they represent.
- Since the Forums, we have tried the meeting and consultative approach to no avail.
- The United Beef Group is circulating 4 letters, addressed to politicians, MLA and Cattle Council, requesting all those concerned to register their support with their signature, to demonstrate the degree and extent of their anger over the failure of the industry organisations to properly represent their interests.
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE 4 LETTERS AND SIGN THE FINAL PAGE TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
BINDAREE BEEF CALLS FOR COMPENSATION FOR NORTHERN CATTLE PRODUCERS
Please find attached a copy of the Bindaree Beef Plant Initiated Project (PIP) Final Report on Beef Eating Quality and Grading for your information. The report is the final outcome of a research project conducted under joint Bindaree Beef and AMPC funding into beef eating quality and grading in Australia.
The findings of the report present an overwhelming case for the introduction of a comprehensive beef grading system in Australia, which could be expected to provide an annual benefit to the industry of over $1 billion annually by increasing domestic demand.
The Australian beef industry is reaching a point of crisis and it is now critical that national measures to strengthen the domestic market are taken.
The urgency of the situation was highlighted in a recent MLA report, Northern Beef Situation Analysis 2009, which found that the northern beef industry is unprofitable, unsustainable, and in its worst state since the beef slump of the 1970s. Average northern beef producers have spent more than they have earned in 6 out of the last 7 years. The northern beef industry consists of just under half of the overall national beef herd in Australia. The MLA report can be viewed here: http://www.mla.com.au/Research-and-development/Final-report-details?projectid=14980.
The issue of national beef labelling and grading was to be considered by the Primary Industries Ministerial Council (PIMC) in April this year, but was postponed pending the finalisation of the Food Amendment (Beef Labelling) Act 2009 (NSW) ("the Torbay Bill") in NSW.
I met with Federal Minister for Agriculture Joe Ludwig on Monday, 15th November, at which time he indicated that the proposal to implement equivalent provisions to the Torbay Bill at a national level and implement a national beef grading system is to be considered by PIMC at its meeting early next year.
Regards
Norman Hunt
Bindaree PIP Final Report
Norman Hunt, of Hunt Partners, lodged this submission on behalf of the Untied Beef Group at the Minister’s suggestionwith respect to Productivity Commission Inquiry into Rural Research and Development Corporations.
The attached cover letter was submitted, along with Beef's New Direction Strategic Plan
Submission ltr 26.11.10
Discussions have been entered into by different parties with a view to promote two petitions
1. The call for a restructure of the MLA to make it more democratic and responsive to producers interests
2. To call on the federal and state goverments to reduce the ever increasing costs and charges that are forced upon each link of the beef production chain
These petitions will be circulated electronically in the near future and we ask anybody who has a vested interest in seeing the beef industry survive to lodge their support around these issues.
A meeting with Mr Ben Gursansky has been scheduled for the United Beef Group in Hunt Partners offices in Sydney on the afternoon of 15 December 2010.
As chief advisor to Mr Crean, Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government Minister for the Arts, the UBG representatives will discuss issues of the strategic plan and regarding sustainability of rural communities, including the resolutions regarding decentralisation and the establishment of the rural bank.
ROGER UNDERWOOD
IN RESPONSE TO BINDAREE BEEF'S CALL FOR COMPENSATION
This is all very good but the live export trade shouldn’t have been banned at all. After 6 months of no trade do you really think Australia will be able to just pick up the reins and continue where it left off from. Once you lose a market it is nearly impossible to get it back. Bindaree Beef of all people should know this. The Indonesian market will be filled by other countries and they will fight to keep it just as we should now.
It is now common knowledge that there are abattoirs in Indonesia that slaughter cattle humanely and according to International welfare standards. These abattoirs and all livestock producers are now being penalized for doing the right thing while nothing changes at the rouge plants and the cruelty goes on.
Not for one moment do I condone the cruelty that was shown, but the kneejerk reaction to this will have far more repercussions to all producers than any amount of compensation.
Roger Underwood