INNOVATIVE beef producers are being encouraged to nominate for Meat & Livestock Australia’s Producer Innovation Award, to be presented in May at the Beef Australia 2018 event in Rockhampton.

The award is designed to recognise beef producers accelerating the development and adoption of innovation and new technologies.

“The Producer Innovation Award will be presented to a beef producer who best demonstrates innovation across one of three streams,” MLA managing director Richard Norton said.

Three streams of the award include:

• Accelerated adoption of innovations to improve on-farm performance
• Producer-led innovations resulting in new products, brands and value chains; and
• Producer-led new ventures and start-ups.

A finalist will be chosen from each stream and this group will form the pool of three finalists from which the MLA Producer Innovation Award is chosen.

The award aligns with MLA Donor Company’s Producer Innovation Fast-Track program, which accelerates capability and producer-led innovation by providing expertise, co-funding and support for initiatives that have the ability to improve farm and value chain performance.

The award will be presented as part of the 2018 Rabobank Beef Industry Awards, with the winner announced at the Awards dinner on Monday evening, 7 May, at Beef Australia 2018 in Rockhampton.

The winner of the MLA Producer Innovation Award will receive a trip to attend the awards dinner at Beef Australia 2018, and a trip to attend MLA’s Red Meat 2018 seminar and AGM event in Canberra in November.

Entrants will also receive the assistance of a consultant to help refine their project concept or business model. Nominations for the MLA Producer Innovation Award close on Wednesday, 28 February.

• Click here to access entry requirements.