ALFA: From a few members to a respected beef industry body

Mr Hart was among a group of lotfeeders on Queensland's Darling Downs in the 1960s who made the most of their location, with close proximity to abattoirs and grain production, to start feedlots.

"Our family company started to market our own product direct, supplying first to butchers," Mr Hart said.

"We, like others nearby found by establishing a feedlot it was a natural step to ensure the continuity and consistency of supply.

"So it wasn't long before we realised what we were producing through the feedlot system was a different product which needed to be properly described and marketed.

"What stood out in those early days was that many of those who had gone into lotfeeding were individual producers who had an inclination and desire to market their own product.

"They were people who had some foresight and knew what they wanted to achieve, to establish their product correctly in the marketplace, both domestically and internationally."

Mr Hart established the Kerwee Feedlot, now known as Stockyard Beef, at Jondaryan in 1965.

Among the other early producers were Dugald Cameron, who established Aronui Feedlot in 1963, and Don Bridgeford, who started Mungala Feedlot in 1964 and supplied cattle to meat processor Huttons in the first commercial contract between a feedlot and an external customer.

The group feeding on the Darling Downs as well as some in Central Queensland first formed the Queensland Lot Feeders' Association, which became very proactive with similar groups in NSW, Victoria and other states to establish the national body, ALFA.

The formation of ALFA gave the industry national standing and later, recognition as a peak council.

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"Before this our only national recognition had been as a nonvoting member of the Australian National Cattle Council (ANCC) which later became the Cattle Council of Australia," Mr Hart said.

At the time, many of the lotfeeder groups operated alongside or under other beef producer organisations.

"Those producer organisations probably expected the lotfeeders to stay within those groups and perhaps didn't encourage the growth of the lotfeeding industry," Mr Hart said.

"To solve the problems facing lotfeeding, however, it was important that we had our own voice.

"We went about it the right way, with a good constitution to control the way we operated, which gave the group a sound footing from the start."

ALFA's early growth was hit by the beef slump of 1974, which saw the cattle price fall by 31 per cent.

Subsidised production led to a glut in the European Common Market, which closed all imported beef access. Japan followed with their market closure.

The beef slump led to the closure of many feedlots, and others had to cut back production and marketing their beef through limited outlets like the domestic market and the US.

"That set ALFA back a long way but through that period we stayed together and used our infl uence on the ANCC to generate what help we could to reopen markets," Mr Hart said.

"The loss of Japan, which had been opening up as a good outlet for grain-fed beef, was a serious one.

"We were able to convince the ANCC to run delegations to countries, with the first one to Japan, to help open up markets again in the late 70s."

It wasn't until ALFA gained peak industry council status in July 1995 that the industry was given the credit it deserved, Mr Hart said.

"Getting representation as a national body was very important, because we found you weren't always listened to in places like Canberra unless you were considered a national body with members in all states."

Large open field days were an important part of ALFA's growth and recognition.

"We organised several of these, with international speakers like US Professor Bart Cardon," Mr Hart said.

"Bart brought great knowledge and experience to Australian lotfeeders and the industry at large.

"Dr Cardon was a returned serviceman who had served under General Patton in WWII, as well as being a well qualified professor of nutrition.

"Those field days were a big step forward, and an eye opener to the industry and what we, as lotfeeders were trying to achieve."

The establishment and growth of ALFA itself was a big encouragement to smaller feedlots, having a body that was already established with a lot of the hard work done.

"We were lucky to have Bob Coombs, who was previously at the Department of Ag, as the first part-time chief executive officer," Mr Hart said.

"He was also a huge help in understanding the regulatory side of the industry and working with bureaucrats. I think ALFA would have been held back if we didn't have the expertise of people like him on board.

"We've been very fortunate to have a lot of expertise in different fields, which set ALFA up to become the strong, well-respected industry body which it is today."