Oz co-op consolidates Tassie holding
Murray Goulburn has bought Mitsubishi Corporation's remaining 24.1% in Tasmanian Dairy Products Co Pty Ltd (TDP) for A$4.8 million, taking 100% ownership.
A motion filed by Australian Beef Association received support from only 10.39% of votes cast at MLA's annual meeting this month. Outgoing chairman Don Heatley says the industry should put the vote behind it and come together.
"I thank MLA members and the industry for the enormous support that they have shown the company. It is now time to work together as an industry and look to the future," says Heatley, who retired after six years at the helm.
The Australian Beef Association had not expected the motion to pass. But it remains hopeful the MLA will be disbanded in the longer term and replaced with a more streamlined organisation focused on keeping and expanding key markets.
"If there was anything positive to come out; it was the admission that a change needs to be initiated," ABA spokesman Brad Bellinger told reporters.
The motion required 75% support to pass. The Australian Meat Producers Group opposed the motion saying there was nothing to be gained from winding up the MLA and was satisfied with its commitment to review operations.
Managing director, Scott Hansen reiterated MLA's role within the industry.
"MLA is not the industry representative body, it is not a policy or a regulatory body, we are a marketing and R&D services company," he says.
"MLA's role is to create opportunities across the cattle, sheep and goat supply chains by optimising the return on collective investment in marketing and R&D."
He says this includes investing in R&D to create opportunities to reduce the cost of production, improve the feed base and animal welfare for livestock. It also includes investing in marketing to create opportunities for increased demand for your products.
New South Wales cattle producer Rob Anderson was appointed as the new MLA chairman.
Anderson says he is looking forward to working with management and the board to ensure MLA continues to create opportunities for the Australian cattle, sheep and goat industries from the investment of their levies in R&D and marketing.
He paid tribute to Heatley on his successful term as MLA chairman.
"Don Heatley's unwavering commitment to the Australian red meat and livestock industry has provided strong leadership through some of the most challenging times for our industry."
In his final chairman's address Heatley paid tribute to the resilience of the livestock industry.
"Looking back over the 13 years on the MLA board, I've seen the resilience of Australian livestock producers displayed time and time again. We've seen drought, floods, the Aussie dollar swing from US49c to US110c, demand in global markets run hot and cold. But no matter what's been thrown at us, we've knuckled down and got on with the job of producing safe, quality meat for the world's consumers," he says.
