New Cattle Council CEO announced

He replaces Margo Andrae, who moved from the red meat camp to head up Australian Pork Limited last month following the retirement of Andrew Spencer.

Mr Tobin has been the chief executive of QFF for three and a half years representing 13,000 intensive, semi-intensive and irrigation farmers.

He previously worked for the Federal Department of Agriculture, the Ricegrowers' Association of Australia, and the National Australia Bank as a business analyst, and on his family's properties in NSW and South Australia.

Cattle Council president, Tony Hegarty, said with producers currently discussing the red meat industry's new memorandum of understanding, the Meat Industry Strategic Plan 2030 and the Cattle Council's own restructure, Mr Tobin's appointment would strengthen industry advocacy and policy development.

"Australia's livestock and red meat representational structures are at an historic juncture and Cattle Council needs to continue to play a proactive role in shaping the future," he said.

"We need to be proactive in terms of the whole-of-industry direction and our own internal structure to strengthen grassroots producer representation.

"Travis boasts clear leadership and advocacy skills, and his organisational and change-management experience will also be crucial assets for Cattle Council, producers and industry stakeholders."

Mr Tobin said the Cattle Council role presented a set of unique and attractive challenges.

"Advocating on behalf of Australian farmers is a significant responsibility and, given the importance of the beef cattle industry to the national economy and regional communities, effective representation is absolutely vital," he said.

"Australia's beef cattle producers boasts a proud story of hard-working rural families producing beef of the highest quality, and sustainably managing a huge part of the national landmass.

"Cattle Council must continue to articulate these economic, environmental and food security imperatives, and work with government to strengthen the policy framework to promote productivity and profitability."

Mr Tobin will start with the Cattle Council in November.