After a long-running industry restructure process which culimated late last year, a national board of directly-elected cattle producer representatives is now charged with providing leadership and direction for the Australian grassfed beef cattle industry.

The inaugural Cattle Australia board is made up of seven representatives elected by its members, with a further two skills-based directors yet to be appointed by the board.

In an ongoing series of profiles, Beef Central is asking each Cattle Australia director why they stood for the national board, what they see as key issues confronting Australian cattle producers and their throughts on how the future of the Australian beef cattle industry currently stands.

This week we profile Qld producer Bryce Camm.

Name: Bryce Camm

Region: Northern Australia Beef Research Council

What is your background in the Australian beef industry?

I grew up on “Natal Downs” Station in north Queensland and have more than 20 years of living and working within the cattle industry. Today I am the CEO of Camm Agricultural Group, an organisation that operates over 65,000 head of cattle across nine stations in Queensland and one Feedlot.

While based on the Darling Downs, I travel across our pastoral stations weekly and clearly understand the issues our grass-fed sector faces.

I’ve been CEO of the group for the past eight years. Before that, I was the Manager of the group’s award-winning Wonga Plains Feedlot for eight years where I oversaw the operation tripling in size.

I have a dual degree in Business Administration and Communications from Bond University, and I am a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program as well as the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course.

I have experience as a previous president of the Australian Lot Feeders Association and a previous director of the Red Meat Advisory Council where I had heavy involvement in developing and delivering the strategic plan Red Meat 2030 and policy for these organisations.

I’m the current Chairman of Beef Australia Ltd, the organisation charged with hosting the Beef Community’s largest event, held every three years in Rockhampton. The next event Beef Australia 2024 is under 12 months away and will be the largest ever, with a heavy focus on our returning international delegates. The last Beef event hosted over 115,000 people.

Why did you stand for the board of Cattle Australia?

I am deeply passionate about effective, hands-on representation for Australia’s beef producers. I have for my entire lifetime witnessed the debate on different models to deliver that representation. I acknowledge the immense amount of work that has taken place to create Cattle Australia as our new body that will proudly represent the interests of beef producers.

Having led a successful, growing and financially stable peak industry council in the grain-fed sector, I am eager to do my bit in assisting this new organisation to succeed. I understand the challenge in front of us and I am keen to give back to an industry that my family is heavily invested in and deeply passionate about its vibrant future ahead.

I am a grassroots cattle producer that understands the great policy outcomes that can be achieved when an effective, well-resourced peak industry council is in place. I am a good listener and an effective communicator. I will proudly advocate for the interest of cattle producers across our sector and ensure that our position is heard loud and clear within the wider red meat industry.

What are three key issues you see confronting the Australian Cattle Industry at the moment?

Effective representation: The beef sector is Australia’s single largest agricultural commodity and the grazing industry is the custodian of much of the national estate. Currently, many people and organisations have viewpoints around our sector and are aiming to influence public policy regarding our future.

Our sector must have an unapologetic, financially robust, influential and grassroots-driven representative voice to ensure that our industry controls its own narrative and policy settings. The framework of that voice now exists in the formation of Cattle Australia. Our new board is on the pathway to build the financial model and its imperative for all our success that cattle producers from around the nation actively engage in their new voice.

Market Access: We are an export market-driven industry. It is vital that we continue to advocate for free and open market access for our high-quality product, across the globe. The Australian government needs to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our industry in breaking down anti-competitive tariffs and quotas. We also need to apply pressure on the removal of non-tariff trade barriers both existing and those being imposed around virtual signalling from dominions such as the EU and China. Free and open market access is the only way we will continue to grow and develop our great industry.

Education and Training: It is vital to our continued success as a sector that we invest in our people and skills of our teams. Access to appropriate fit-for-purpose training for the beef sector is lacking across the nation this is a space that must be addressed both to ensure the pipeline of talent our sector requires and safeguard our business from the financial pressures ahead.

How do you see the future of the Australian beef cattle industry?

I am bullish on Beef! The beef community has a vibrant and exciting future ahead. We deliver a nutrient-dense, safe and enjoyable high-quality product that is produced while coexisting and supporting the natural environment.

We do this at a time when there is an ever-increasing demand for affordable protein food supply and limited resources on which to meet the need.

This is a message our beef community needs to be more brazen and unapologetic about advocating. The time is now to get involved!

Earlier Cattle Australia director profiles:

• Elke Cleverdon
• Adam Coffey
• James Bowie

For more information on Cattle Australia click here