The initiative – announced recently by MLA Managing Director Jason Strong at Red Meat 2019 in Tamworth – came into effect on 25 November 2019 and will operate until 30 June 2021.

Under the Accelerated Adoption Initiative, MLA will provide a temporary relief for costs incurred for the delivery of key products and services, from MLA, directly to red meat levy payers. It does not include the livestock transaction levy, which will remain unchanged.
Items eligible include:

• Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) accreditation and reaccreditation
• LPA National Vendor Declarations (NVD) books
• LPA record keeping books
• eDec tokens
• Training workshops, forums and field days delivered directly by MLA such as Bred Well Fed Well, BeefUp and MeatUp Forums; and
• Sheep Genetics membership and services.

MLA Managing Director Jason Strong said MLA’s focus is to fast-track the adoption by producers of as many MLA tools as possible that deliver direct benefit to levy payers as MLA looks to support the national recovery of the Red Meat supply chain.

“There is a unique opportunity for our industry to deliver on the Red Meat Advisory Council’s ambitious 10-year vision of doubling the value of red meat sales,” Mr Strong said.

“However, achieving this goal won’t be easy, especially given the challenges we face as an industry – particularly with recent drought, floods and fires having an impact.

“We must use everything in our collective and individual powers to deliver transformational change.

“The removal of financial barriers for producers to access MLA products and services is the first step identified by MLA to provide that direct support to producers.

“This is a practical and immediate step, with levy-payers already accessing the initiative.”

Mr Strong said MLA is looking at other ways it can directly support levy payers with further information to be released in due course.

Red Meat Advisory Council (RMAC) Chairman Don Mackay said MLA’s focus on delivering direct benefits to levy-payers was a welcome first step to improved adoption outcomes.

“This is a bold initiative from MLA and I thank the MLA Board, Mr Strong and senior leadership team for making it happen,” Mr Mackay said.

“We have set an ambitious 10-year target for the red meat and livestock industry and we will all have a role to play in doubling the value of red meat sales by 2030.

“Central to this is doubling the funding available for extension from our industry service providers to connect producers, livestock exporters and processors direct with our industry research.

“For MLA, providing temporary relief for costs incurred for key products and services is important as they look to further build the Accelerated Adoption Initiative.”

Source: Meat & Livestock Australia. For more information on the Accelerated Adoption Initiative including eligible MLA products and services, please visit https://www.mla.com.au/AAI.