Your levies, your say – help shape MLA’s R&D priorities in Southern Australia

Cattle and sheepmeat producers with a passion for research and development that boosts productivity and profitability are being encouraged to “put up their hand”.
 
MLA is seeking nominations from grassroots producers to be part of seven new producer committees across southern Australia that will play a critical new role in driving the organisation’s R&D activities.
 
MLA General Manager, On Farm Innovation and Adoption, Dr Matt McDonagh said the committees covering New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and parts of Queensland offered local cattle and sheep meat producers stronger input than ever before into the setting of local research and development priorities.
 
“MLA is changing the way it consults with producers across Australia to ensure the people who fund R&D activities have direct input into how levy money is spent.” Dr McDonagh said.
 
“These grass-roots committees will form a vital part of the Southern Australia Meat Research Council (SAMRC).
 
“MLA is committed to giving producers a stronger voice in R&D decisions to ensure the work we do better reflects industry needs and delivers optimum value back to grazing businesses.”
 
Under the new consultation model SAMRC will join the newly developed Western Australia Livestock Research Council (WALRC) and the existing North Australia Beef Research Council (NABRC) as overarching bodies to collect grass-roots feedback from local and regional Producer Committees.  This input will then be taken to the Red Meat Panel for consideration in setting R&D priorities.
 
SAMRC Chair Ralph Shannon said the process not only gave producers a greater say in setting R&D priorities, but also provided an opportunity for key research partners to collaborate with the red-meat industry.
 
“These independent, producer-driven committees have the capacity to be highly successful in making sure levy investments are targeted to industry needs,” Mr Shannon said.
 
“I’m also excited about the opportunity for the Research Council process to draw co-investors into the agricultural research arena.
 
“The future of cutting edge agricultural research depends upon the production sector working hand in hand with universities, government and the private sector, and SAMRC can be the vehicle for those partnerships to be created.
 
“I urge producers interested in research and development that makes a difference on-farm to apply for a role in SAMRC’s regional committees.”
 
More information on how to nominate is available at www.mla.com.au/samrc email info@mla.com.au or call 1800 023 100.

Released by: Cox Inall Communications on behalf of MLA. 
For media enquiries contact: 
Rose Glasser, MLA Media Manager, p: 02 9463 9198, e: rglasser@mla.com.au