Ron McDonald is optimistic that Australian cattle producers will vote ‘yes’ this month in an industry-wide ballot to increase the cattle transaction levy by $1.50 to $5 per head sold.
Mr McDonald met with producers in Western Australia last week in his role as chairman of industry lobby group the Australian Beef Industry Funding Steering Committee.
The BIFSC is made up of producers, feedlotters and processors and was formed independently more than a year ago to investigate industry concerns about the future for cattle producers.
The levy recommendation and other initiatives were made in the committee’s recent ‘Funding for the Future’ report.
Mr McDonald, who is nearing the end of the nationwide series of producer forums about the levy increase, said feedback had been encouraging.
“Despite the difficult seasonal conditions, the meetings we’ve held around the country have been well received and cattle producers are acknowledging that there is a compelling argument to support an increase in the cattle transaction levy,” he said.
Raising the transaction levy fee will help fund a bigger, stronger marketing effort to help ensure continuing strong demand for Australian beef in both domestic and export markets, he told WA Business News.
“So far, we’ve had 770 producers attending our meetings in all states, and while the committee acknowledges the need for an improvement in seasonal conditions, most producers also acknowledge the need to ensure we have our markets secured into the future,” Mr McDonald said.
The industry-wide ballot opened on June 14 and will close on July 27, with a result to be known in the first week of August.
Mr McDonald said it was vital that producers voted in the ballot.
“This is too important an issue to let slip by. A ‘yes’ vote will help protect Australia’s beef markets and our long-term cattle prices.”
Mr McDonald met with cattle producers in Halls Creek and Broome last week.
WAFarmers meat section president Mike Norton said while there would be mixed reaction among farmers in WA to the levy ballot, investment in marketing was needed for the continued success of the beef industry.
Mr Norton said he thought there would be reasonable support from the big producers but remained unsure about the smaller producers.
