Grassfed cattle industry stakeholders have just over two weeks to provide feedback on a draft national strategic plan which has been released today.

The "Beef 2015 and Beyond Draft Strategy" is the result of months of consultation by the Cattle Council of Australia aimed at identifying key "strategic imperatives" for the industry and gauging views on how national industry representation can be restructured and funded to provide a stronger voice for grassfed producers in future. 

The draft plan is now in the final stages of development and as part of that process the Cattle Council has given stakeholders until October 14 to provide further feedback.

In is current form the 16 page document outlines 21 strategic imperatives for the industry, the bodies responsible for developing and implementing each and the expected time-frames involved.

Producers hoping for more detail on how national representation for the grassfed cattle sector may take shape will have to wait, with a deadline for implementing a new representative model set at June 2013 in the draft plan. The document refers to the need for a mechanism to allow direct communication and engagement with grassfed levy payers and a suitable funding strategy, but no further detail on how the existing Cattle Council of Australia may be restructured to achieve that. 

The document outlines the development of a draft plan as the first phase of a three-phase process. Developing strategies and finalising the plan will be the second phase, with consideration of various industry structures to best support the strategy's delivered listed as the third and yet to be completed phase.

The strategic plan builds on industry input gleaned earlier this year through an independent survey of 675 cattle producers, state and national workshops, feedback on specific industry topics via an interactive website and individual interviews with key industry leaders.

Cattle Council of Australia says the Beef Industry Strategic Plan will "inform, direct and mobilise all industry resources and efforts over the coming years".

“We have been overwhelmed and encouraged by the engagement we have had into the development of the strategic plan,” Cattle Council of Australia (CCA) vice-president Peter Hall said.

“Now it is time for the draft to come under public scrutiny.

“The CCA Board welcomes all submissions in order to ensure we have developed the best roadmap for the future of the industry.

“How we engage with issues is one of the major areas of interest to date, and the way ahead will be a challenging one.

“We need to ensure that we have listened to producers and that we are moving in the direction that they want us to be.”

Cattle Council of Australia says the new strategy will also align with the framework provided by the wider Meat Industry Strategic Plan and is consistent with the Red Meat Memorandum of Understanding.

The draft document can be viewed by clicking here

The Cattle Council of Australia's consultation website where submissions and comments can be lodged can be accessed by clicking here