Fees temporarily waived to lift meat sector

The country’s peak livestock research body will forgo certain fees on producers for more than six months in an attempt to “deliver transformational change” and spur red meat sales.

Meat and Livestock Australia managing director Jason Strong confirmed at last Wednesday’s annual general meeting in Tamworth that some product and services costs will be waived from Monday, November 25, until June 30.

It includes costs linked with the Livestock Production Assurance program and National Vendor Declarations system.

Costs for training workshops, such as Bred Well Fed Well, and field days, including the Beef Up Forums, will also be waived.

However, the announcement does not include MLA’s transaction levy on farmers’ livestock sales.

Mr Strong said the move was intended to benefit the Red Meat Advisory Council’s ambitious 10-year goal to double the value of Australia’s red meat sales to $57 billion by 2030.

“For MLA, ‘fewer, bigger and bolder’ will become a key guiding principle so we can deliver transformational change and in doing so build a sustainable, more profitable, and resilient red meat industry,” Mr Strong said.

“We work at every link of the red meat supply chain globally, with the people, insights and capital to invest in activities that create real benefit to levy payers and amplify these investments like never before.

“MLA’s commitment is that every decision, every action and every investment will be made to create unprecedented transformational change — with producers and the supply chain at the heart of those considerations.

“To achieve this change and deliver the vision, there needs to be a renewed shared commitment from all of industry.”

Mr Strong acknowledged the nation’s farmers were battling harsh conditions and noted a united approach was a key to progressing the red meat sector.

“Many of these challenges are outside of what we can control, however there are also some significant areas that we can influence and overcome,” he said.

“Temporarily removing charges for our products and services is something that the MLA can control. Therefore, my hope is a shared commitment from industry, to focus on supporting red meat levy payers.”