AGFORCE

About AgForce Cattle

Producer representation

AgForce Cattle is the only body in Queensland that represents the majority of beef producers.

The organisation exists for one purpose: to ensure the long term growth, viability, competitiveness and profitability of the beef industry in Queensland.

A national affiliation is maintained with the Cattle Council of Australia, a member body of the National Farmers' Federation.

AgForce Cattle works to ensure that the view of Queensland beef producers, as the largest cattle producing state, is heard at state and federal level.

As the cattle industry in Queensland is the backbone of rural regional communities across the area, AgForce Queensland - and more specifically AgForce Cattle - plays a very important role in increasing the returns for the benefit of customers.

AgForce Cattle board

President: Grant Maudsley Policy director: Casey Dunn         North directors: • Peter Hall • Rick Britton • Keegan Dinnie • Alex Stubbs Central directors: • Justin MacDonnell • Howard Smith South East directors: • Ian Harsant Southern Inland directors: • Teresa Allen • Anthony Struss South West director: • Steve Taylor Special director: • Melinee Leather Special director - youth: • Amelia Becker • Robyn Bryant

Role of directors

As the democratically elected representatives for thousands of Queensland beef producers, these AgForce Cattle board directors volunteer a huge amount of their time to meet with members, policy makers, market experts and other influencers of the beef industry to come up with sound policies which can be taken to government, and clear directions for industry service providers like Meat & Livestock Australia, the National Residue Survey, and Animal Health Australia.

Our issues and directions comes from your resolutions and discussions at branch meetings, and in this way, AgForce Cattle directors deliver lobby outcomes and provide a service to members and all participants in the industry.

They represent members' interests on 17 state level committees, and on another 21 committees through the Cattle Council of Australia. So, every issue which affects you as a beef producer is in some way being worked on by the Cattle Board, CCA and/or NFF.

From FMD live virus importation (which AgForce Cattle has taken the lead on preventing since 2003) to leasehold rent policies, transport of livestock to ticks management, animal welfare to beef extension and training, and from marketing to trade, AgForce Cattle's directors are working hard on your behalf.

Focus

AgForce Cattle supports all sectors of the Australian beef industry - grass-fed, grain fed and live export - each sector plays play an important role and all three need to be preserved into the future to maintain a prosperous beef industry.

A key role of AgForce Cattle directors is to distribute information and discuss relevant issues with members to hear direct feedback from them. Open forums - which happen whenever the Cattle broad meets in regional areas - enable member feedback and discussion with the board which can then be taken into industry and government debates.

Your levy

In the beef industry, decision making (policy) and funding streams are effectively split and for a producer to have input into policy they must do so through involvement in political lobbying groups (state farmer organisations) such as AgForce. AgForce Cattle has seven of the 23 seats on the Cattle Council of Australia, so oversight of MLA funds is a core and critical activity for the Cattle board.

MLA membership is separate again, and while MLA has a role in structural decision making only peak councils (and therefore groups like AgForce) have an oversight role in the use of the $5 Cattle Transaction Levy.

It requires extensive work to assess and review the many marketing and R&D programs, but AgForce Cattle board members travel long distance to do so, knowing that this is the only way to ensure levy funds are spent appropriately so producers reap benefits from the work of industry service providers.

Have your say

The key point that members should remind non-members is this: is if you are not in AgForce, and not sending resolutions to AgForce Cattle, then you do not have a say in how your levies are spent.

It is only through direct involvement that you can play a role in steering MLA, CCA policy and the directions of government to ensure beneficial outcomes for industry.

To have your say, talk to one of your region’s Cattle board directors.

AgForce Cattle Limited - ACN 087 429 883
AgForce Cattle Limited is a company limited by guarantee. Our members are Queensland cattle producers.