aliCe sPriNGs

92 Pages·2014·11.61 MB·English

Year in review 2012-2013
NortherN territory CattlemeN’s assoCiatioN
Advancing and Protecting the Interests of Cattle Producers in the Northern Territory
Jon Griffiths
‘Allandale Station’
Homestead, Qld
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Year in review 2012-2013
NortherN territory CattlemeN’s assoCiatioN
2012/2013 NtCa executive members and Key staff 2
Northern territory
Cattlemen’s association major sponsors 2013 NtCa aGm & Conference 4
year in review 2012-2013
2013 NtCa aGm President’s report 6
Prepared and edited by David Warriner
Luke Bowen and Tracey Page 2013 NtCa executive Director’s report 12
Luke Bowen
Photography National Farmers Federation report 16
Tracey Hayes
Conference & dinner photos taken by
Grenville Turner Cattle Council report 22
Tom Stockwell
Cover 2013 NtCa aGm & Conference 25
Bond Springs Herefords
2013 NtCa Conference opening address 26
Senator the Hon. Joe Ludwig
advertising sales
Beef & Cattle outlook with the Usa in mind 30
Walsh Media Services
Don Close
Ph 08 8221 5600
sustainability Driving Consumer trends 34
David Hughes
Design and Publishing
media secrets from an insider 37
Walsh Media Services Anthony McClellan
ACN 056 630 016
agriculture and rural Urban engagement 47
Level 3, 18-20 Grenfell Street Robbie Sefton
ADELAIDE SA 5000
market situation and outlook 53
Ph 08 8221 5600 Dr Peter Barnard
Fax [phone] improving Female reproduction rate 57
Email [email protected] David Johnston
www.walshmedia.com.au Balancing the Beef Business Back to Basics 61
Ian Braithwaite
2013 NtCa ladies lunch 64
TAble of
2013 NtCa aGm in Pictures 66
CoNteNts
life membership for industry stalwarts 72
Dick Cadzow
life membership for industry stalwarts 73
Malcolm Roberts
alice springs 2012/13 Branch report 74
Christopher Nott
Barkly 2012/13 Branch report 77
Angus Mitchell
Katherine 2012/13 Branch report 78
Jack Andrews
top end 2012/13 Branch report 80
Chris Muldoon
regional landcare Facilitator 81
Peter Clifton
indonesia australia Pastoral industry student Program 82
2014 e. J. Connellan award 85
Bohning yards alice springs 86
Jim Willoughby
Vale lillian savage 87
Advancing and Protecting the Interests of Cattle Producers in the Northern Territory Northern territory Cattlemen’s association 1
2012/2013 NTCA
exeCUtiVe memBers aND Key staFF
David Warriner tracey hayes tom stockwell Chris Nott anne stanes angus mitchell
President Nff Representative Cattle Council Alice Springs branch Alice Springs branch barkly Chair
executive officer Representative Chair Deputy Chair
Alice Springs
henry Burke Jack andrews Cameron rasheed Chris muldoon markus rathsman luke Bowen
barkly Deputy Chair Katherine branch Katherine branch Top end Chair Top end Deputy executive Director
Chair Deputy Chair Chair
tracey Page Jim Willoughby Noel Cuffe mick armstrong tara Fulwood libby Doney
office Manager Manager Roe Creek RJP field officer RJP Senior field IPP Mentor Program Coordinator
Darwin Yards officer / Policy officer
memBer NatioNal Farmer’s FeDeratioN memBer Cattle CoUNCil oF aUstralia
secretariat alice springs office Current President executive Director
Suite 9 Bohning Yards Complex Mr David Warriner Mr Luke Bowen
1st Floor Raffles Plaza Roe Creek GPO Box 4845 GPO Box 4845
1 Buffalo Court South Stuart Hwy DARWIN NT 0801 DARWIN NT 0801
DARWIN NT 0800 Alice Springs NT Phone [phone] Phone [phone]
[email protected] [email protected] Fax [phone] Fax [phone]
GPO Box 2288 [email protected] [email protected]
GPO Box 4845
ALICE SPRINGS NT 0871
DARWIN NT 0801
Phone [phone]
Phone [phone]
Fax [phone]
Fax [phone]
2 Northern territory Cattlemen’s association Advancing and Protecting the Interests of Cattle Producers in the Northern Territory
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MAJoR SPoNSoRS
2013 NtCa aGm & CoNFereNCe
Safety Advice
4 Northern territory Cattlemen’s association Advancing and Protecting the Interests of Cattle Producers in the Northern Territory

2013 NTCA AGM PresiDeNt’s rePort
federal Minister for Agriculture, Senator Joe ludwig, the Indonesian delegation that is here, Distinguished
Guests, NTCA life Members, Members, ladies, & Gentlemen. It is a privilege to deliver my 1st, and NTCA’s 29th
President’s Report to you today. It is eerie and frankly, disturbing, how similar the situations of 1985 were, to now.
HeADlINeS of that report being; Aboriginal Land Rights,
BTEC, AMLC (now MLA) needing more money to finance the
budget, Herd numbers – we have hit 23.4 million cattle The first
increase since everyone got their fingers burnt in the 70’s. Shades
of this period on the dusty horizon.
Here we are with over 30 million head again.
It would be more satisfying for all if the short and medium term
market and seasonal outlook was just a little bit better.
oVerVieW
Indonesia, Indonesia, Indonesia. Whatever happens in this
market is going to have a profound effect on us in the NT. ett
r
B
More on Indonesia and the dry times shortly. al
g
u
Although I generally believe the longer term outlook is good, o
D
we certainly need to reposition all agricultural industries in e
g
many ways. 50 years ago we were better off. We had superior ma
terms of trade creating real wealth to industry, land owners and i
participants. We had better relationships with governments
in that agriculture and food production was given a far better
I fear that as industry is in such a depressed situation, and in
hearing than we receive today, and most importantly we had
many instances, survival mode, we will most certainly miss
a much closer relationship and connection with our urban
opportunities that require start up and supply chain investments.
counterparts and consumers.
Processors, value adders, traders, and exporters certainly will not pass
How do we fix this?
profits down the chain if they don’t need to. With an impending
A very difficult question. dry time in front of us our leverage is diminished as we have limited
options to hold supply back as we are forced to unload.
The problem being is that, it is the city, not us, who have lost
the connection. 50 years ago everybody had a natural rural If however, industry gets together and focuses on a way forward
connection of some sort. That connection, is now broken. It has we could get there. By industry I particularly mean the financiers
not been due to policy. But natural demographic trend. I think & landowners Governments, Peak Councils, Representative
the only way to a real and solid reconnection is through the bodies and MLA.
education curriculum on a National basis. I know the NFF are
I mention Financiers AND Landowners because ABARE figures
working on this.
now tell us that the LVR on Australian Ag Land is now well above
I suspect we will certainly witness the so called “Food Boom” 50% debt. Probably higher in the NT.
that is around the corner; however, we will need some smart
footwork in the next couple of years to participate and see real rePreseNtatiVe BoDies
benefit. Almost all and sundry will need to take a breath and
I now turn to Industry Representative Structures.
understand that cutting costs in hard times such as these is only
a survival strategy and does not auger well with productivity From an industry & government perspectives, NTCA is certainly
increases and development of domestic and international performing above its weight. At least we can honestly say we
market positions. represent 90% of Northern Territory Cattlemen. No State Farmer
Organisation comes anywhere near this.
To participate in a boom, strategic positioning is required by
industry and major players. And with commonsense facilitation This is an absolute credit to NTCA executives and members over
by governments. the last 29 years to have established and maintained this position.
6 Northern territory Cattlemen’s association Advancing and Protecting the Interests of Cattle Producers in the Northern Territory
from an industry & government
perspectives, NTCA is certainly performing
above its weight. At least we can honestly
say we represent 90% of Northern Territory
Cattlemen. No State farmer organisation
comes anywhere near this.
Unfortunately, it is becoming more and more obvious that As an aside here, I take this opportunity to commend AACo on
NTCA is going to have to get involved in the restructure of the decision to construct the abattoir in Darwin. A very positive
Cattle Council and then probably NFF. We will certainly need show of faith in the longer term prospects of the industry that
members and corporate support. It needs to be done quickly and will be good for all producers.
decisively.
We need this sort of commitment from all and sundry where possible.
This is an unfortunate situation because, now, almost all other
The representative organisational structure of our industry is now
representative bodies are in strife of some sort. And if our
under serious question. Performance of peak bodies and service
membership was at levels of these organisations, we too would
providers is simply not good enough.
be in strife. And unfortunately NTCA is continually forced to
participate outside NT issues. We are a State Farmer Organisation Why? The diminishing connection I just mentioned is the hidden
that spends more than our fair share of time, resources, energy, driver of fear. My opinion is also, that these organisations are
hours etc on National issues because others can’t or won’t. now under resourced as memberships decline due to lack of
Often at the cost of the dealing with local issues like member performance. Therefore the vortex gets tighter and tighter until
communication, bushfires, wild dogs, local government etc etc. the organisation collapses and we have none.
Certainly areas we will be working on this year.
It is a chicken and egg scenario. Declining resources, therefore
The pastoral companies have also made significant contributions declining performance, therefore declining membership, and
to NTCA in many ways over the entire period and we need this therefore, further declining of resources.
to continue. There is, however a rumbling as to value for money
People, are what we are short of primarily I would say due to the
spent on membership. Nearly understandable, but a real concern.
lack of Ag related subjects at all curriculum levels.
I don’t believe individual producers or companies can be as
How possibly can good solid, consistent, leadership be developed
effective as large representative organisations on a constant basis.
in this scenario.
They can and should lobby on specific and incidental issues but
not in competition, or off message, with effective industry and As well, I don’t know how many members out there have been
organisations. sponsored by industry into various scholarships etc, but there are
Advancing and Protecting the Interests of Cattle Producers in the Northern Territory Northern territory Cattlemen’s association 7
NTCA PReSIDeNT’S RePoRT CoNTINueD shrink as supply comes on a $100 cost will become a real
issue.
far too many slipping through the cracks and not contributing to
industry thereafter. As we move into the “permanent ESCAS” Indonesian market
we need to ensure the correct approach is taken. As anybody
The cycle needs to be broken or our peak bodies Cattle Council
with any Indonesia experience knows, it is a very complex and
of Australia (CCA) and National Farmers Federation (NFF) we
forever changing region. I have been there a few times and a
will end up like the grains industry Peak Council and collapse.
lot less than many, and to me it seems the more I go there the
In that situation it took 5 years for another body to emerge, as
more I understand what I don’t know.
producers rallied again to get represented. We need to short cut
the 5 years if at all possible. Indonesian logic is not always the same as ours, and
Australian’s is not the same as theirs. We need to understand
CCA is the largest member of NFF and without that membership
this. We are in their country. They are the customer.
coming in NFF too could end up collapsing.
Visitors into the Indonesian market need to be “on song” as
The deterioration of these bodies is like a cancer. It started in
such. This does not matter whether you are a cattle producer,
the State Farmer Organisations (SFOs) several years ago and is
exporter, organisation rep or State or Federal Politician.
now knocking on the door of the Australian agriculture’s peak
representative body. Politicians visiting Indonesia beating their political drum,
given what occurred with the shut down, need to be very
I believe we need to try our hardest to fix and adapt what we
careful. If they are talking about livex then they should be
have rather than unwind, collapse, and rebuild. This will set the
talking to industry representatives first, and actually listening
industry back so long that it will be difficult to encourage my
and taking notice of them.
children to have a go in this space.
The focus needs to be on building relationships for a
sustainable future.
iNDoNesia
As most of you would know beef and cattle prices in Indonesia
If we are smart and with some luck I feel we could see some
are at all time highs. Beef at 100,000 rupiah per kg or $10.90cl
improvements into this market from the current 230,000 head
grinding beef prices in Australia are around $4-5.
for 2013. I say this with some trepidation as there is much wiser
opinion contrary to this. This has also pulled the price of chicken, fish, and other
foods up with it, and there is a lot of pressure bearing from
At the end of last year a group from NTCA and NTG visited
consumers at the moment.
feedlots & abattoirs in Lampung and Jakarta and what we saw
was very encouraging. This pressure and considering some scandals around the
issuance of permits and arrests of some officials it would not
Obviously, the feedlots are managed very well and have been for
surprise me that we may have now seen the lowest level of
a long time, however the slaughtering process under ESCAS with
permits. If we are smart, respectful, and nobody stuffs anything
stunning is now massively improved.
up I think before the end of this year we may see demand
It is an absolute credit to the Indonesians on the ground, as to above 230,000 head. And more into 2014.
how they have cooperated and embraced the system. It has taken
We all need to remember what the President of Indonesia said
away the risk of injury associated with traditional restraining with
when he was in Darwin last year. He made it clear they expect
leg ropes etc.
investment into that market so we can expect some strategic
ESCAS has certainly delivered terrific outcomes. Animal Welfare intent and demands from their part.
management is without question massively improved. The MLA
staff on the ground undertaking training of Indonesians and
iNFrastrUCtUre, laND Use aND teNUre
installation of facilities have and continue to do a great job most
of the time. There will always be complaints and they need to be In order to ensure we lock in the required investment to get
better addressed. North Australia moving again we need to have very strong
relationships with governments, traditional owners, and the
The challenge now is to get the cost of ESCAS to an affordable
voting population. Effective peak bodies are essential to this
level. I have heard it is now over $100 per head and needs to be
dialogue.
closer to $20 per head. Achievable in my opinion as there is far
too much duplication both here and there from AQIS, DAFF, The current government and opposition have made a hell
documentation and audit perspectives. Currently this expense of a lot of representations in regards to getting northern
is affordable as the profit at the importer/ feeder sector has this Australia firing from an infrastructure perspective. Not much
well covered. When the market recovers and profit margins happening, other than the Ord Stage 2 that I can see. And even
8 Northern territory Cattlemen’s association Advancing and Protecting the Interests of Cattle Producers in the Northern Territory