New director for MLA board

MLA chair Dr Michele Allan, a food science and agribusiness expert, and experienced northern cattle industry operator George Scott were also re-elected.

More than 200 producers and industry players converged on the picturesque Adelaide Hills township of Hahndorf, South Australia, for the meeting and industry forum.

Mr Watson is a past executive of Coles Australia, during which time he was integral in transforming the way the supermarket giant retailed meat, leading their fully integrated, whole-of-supply-chain meat business including exporting.

With over 30 years’ operational experience in the meat industry in Australia and New Zealand, he has an excellent understanding of lot feeding and backgrounding, processing, combined with value adding, yields and retail-ready product offerings, according to MLA’s selection committee, which nominated him and the other two directors from a field of 89 applicants.

In endorsing Mr Watson, Queensland cattleman Mick Hewitt, the first grassfed representative to be appointed to the selection committee, said he could be perceived as a “somewhat controversial choice” but being stifled by “fear of the unknown is the worse thing we producers can do to ourselves.”

Mr Watson was an experienced industry professional, had come out ahead in an extremely rigorous and robust selection process and was well-placed to take up the challenge to ensure value was returned to the farmgate, Mr Hewitt said.

He took the opportunity while speaking for the nomination to strongly encourage producers to put forward candidates.

Those most suitable to the job may not even be aware of the opportunity, he said.

“While we need skills on the board, we also need people with skin in the game,” Mr Hewitt said.

Launching the AGM, Dr Allan presented an overview of the state of the industry.

“After many difficult years it is so pleasing to see Australian producers reap rewards from the market,” she said.

“Such strong prices have contributed to the total value of the red meat and livestock industry reaching $22.9 billion in 2015/16, only .9 per cent lower than last year’s results.

“Australian cattle prices remain wedged between two extreme forces. On one hand, Australian beef prices have been getting higher, simply because the number of cattle has fallen to a 20-year low.

“On the other hand,  most global price indicators are easing as a result of growing production, particularly in the US.”

What that means, according to Dr Allan, is that once production ramps up in Australia, cattle prices will re-align and move away from the record highs.

The US will, meanwhile, likely intensify its competition in our traditional markets and Brazil will make its presence felt more and more.

Therefore, Australia had to continue to work to reinforce its position as the supplier of a high quality beef with a traceability and integrity system to back up its claim, she said.

“We are the envy of the world when it comes to these systems so we much enhance and promote them,” she said.