THE Australian Lot Feeders Association will elect a new president tomorrow, after incumbent Don Mackay confirmed he will not be standing for a second three-year term.

The grainfed beef industry’s peak council group will hold its annual general meeting tomorrow afternoon, as part of the BeefWorks conference being held in Toowoomba.

Don Mackay

Mr Mackay came into the presidency in September, 2012, succeeding Kerwee’s Jim Cudmore. He joined the ALFA board just 12 months earlier, having been appointed Rangers Valley feedlot managing director 18 months earlier.

His great depth of industry and corporate experience, gained during lengthy periods in senior management with Elders and the Australian Agricultural Co, was quickly recognised by ALFA as a potential resource that would help offset knowledge loss on the board, following past-president Malcolm Foster’s departure.

ALFA members will not learn until tomorrow whether the presidency is to be a contested ballot, or simply an endorsement for a single candidate.

Several possible options have been put forward as potential presidents from within the ALFA council ranks to replace Mr Mackay:

• Scott Braund, Mort & Co Lotfeeders, Toowoomba. Mr Braund is easily the most experienced current ALFA board member, having served since 2001. He started his feedlot industry career with Cargill in 1995 at Jindalee feedlot, being appointed feedlot manager in 1999. In early 2005 he joined Mort & Co as Manager, Feedlots and Farming, a post he still holds today. He spent eight years as ALFA Treasurer up to 2014.
• Tess Herbert, Gundamain Feedlot, Eugowra NSW. As described in Beef Central’s Top 25 Lotfeeders, Tess and husband Andrew own and operate two NSW yards – 6000 head capacity Gundamain, near Eugowra and 6500 head Ladysmith, near Wagga. She joined ALFA as a director in 2008 and became vice president in 2013. If elected, she would become ALFA’s first female president, and in fact the first female to lead a beef industry peak council.
• Grant Garey, general manager feedlots, Teys Australia. Grant has extensive operational experience, starting at Sandalwood in 1995, and later at Cargill Beef’s Jindalee feedlot. He became general manager, feedlots for Teys Australia, following its merger with Cargill Beef Australia in 2011. Grant joined the ALFA council in 2005, and was re-elected in April 2012. He became vice president in 2013.
• Paul Vogt, Iranda Beef, Adelaide SA. Paul has a family history in the South Australian Meat and Livestock industry that reaches back four generations. He began as a trainee livestock buyer with Metro Meat in 1987, working his way into trading roles and starting his own commodities trading business in 1998. At that time he also became involved in the family farming and feedlot operations at Tintinara. Paul was instrumental in the planning, design and construction of the newly created feedlot at Iranda, currently expanding beyond 10,000 head in capacity. He joined ALFA as a councillor in 2011.