ABOUT 80 key red meat and livestock industry stakeholders representing a broad cross-section of the supply chain and key community stakeholders met in Sydney last week to provide the foundations for the next Meat Industry Strategic Plan.

For what will be the fourth incarnation of MISP ( the first five-year plan was written back in 1996), the exercise was the start of a comprehensive process to develop a road-map for the industry’s strategic direction over the next five years to 2020, including identifying the major strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and challenges. A strong focus on measurable performance and accountability will feature in the finished document.

The two-day workshop held last week, in which Beef Central’s Jon Condon was a participant, created vigorous discussion and debate in seeking to frame the overarching priorities for Australia’s red meat and livestock supply chain over the next five-year cycle.

It’s important to stress here that the output from the Sydney workshop discussions was just the starting point in a process to deliver a finished MISP-4 document sometime early next year.  It set out to identify what the key attributes of a successful red meat and livestock industry would likely be in 2020, and beyond.

The themes and topics discussed and identified last week will now be taken to grassroots stakeholders across Australia over the next six weeks, through a series of 12 regional supply chain workshops open to all industry stakeholders. Producers, processors and exporters of Australian red meat and livestock will have the opportunity through the workshops to provide insight to help define the industry’s direction to 2020.

Ross Keane

The MISP-4 document’s development and delivery is being overseen by the industry’s peak representative body, the Red Meat Advisory Council. Its content will help frame and inform the strategic direction of the beef, sheepmeat and goat-meat industries, collectively and individually.

RMAC chairman Ross Keane told last week’s Sydney preliminary workshop that the key focus in MISP-4 would be defining, and quantifying progress against the industry’s greatest challenges and opportunities to 2020, and beyond.  He also reiterated the importance of a collegiate and committed culture to in order to progress the industry against its biggest challenges and opportunities.

In contrast with earlier MISPs developed over the past two decades, the current exercise includes grassroots stakeholder workshops for the first time, ensuring the highest possible level of ‘buy-in’ behind the final document.

“These workshops represent ‘new ground’ as far as MISP development is concerned. We haven’t participated in grass-roots consultation such as this in previous years,” Mr Keane said.

“We’re a $16 billion plus industry, and we need to ensure that the very people who stand to benefit the most from the successes we can achieve through MISP,  have a more direct line of input to its development,” he said.

“I encourage those with a direct or indirect stake in our industry to get involved, and help focus our collective efforts on the biggest opportunities and challenges we have in front of us,” Mr Keane said.

Workshops are scheduled in the following areas:

• Katherine, NT – Wednesday, 17/9.  Venue is the Katherine Research Station’s Paterson Building, starting at 11am. RSVP to Jane Jackson (P: 08 8973 9728 / E: jane.jackson@nt.gov.au) by close of business 15 September.
• Toowoomba Qld – Tuesday, 23/9. Venue is the Queensland Government Conference Centre, 203 Tor Street, starting at 10am. RSVP to Tom Callaghan on 07 4688 1231 or email thomas.callaghan@daff.qld.gov.au  by close of business 18 September.
• Rockhampton, Central Queensland – 25/9. (Location and contact details for this, and following workshops will be published on Beef Central in coming days)
• Townsville, North Queensland – 26/9
• Armidale, NSW – 30/9
• Charleville, Southwest Queensland -1/10
• Perth, Western Australia – 2/10
• Broken Hill, Western NSW – 9/10
• Wagga, Southern NSW/northern Victoria – 13/10
• Attwood, Central/Eastern Victoria – 14/10
• Hamilton, Western Victoria/southeast SA – 16/10
• Launceston, Tasmania – late October, final date to be confirmed.