Opinion

Opinion

RMAC: Why working together to protect Australia’s market access is critical

As the Australian beef industry faces new challenges to market access in key export destinations, such as the EU and China, Red Meat Advisory Council Independent Chair Don Mackay outlines the importance of industry and government working collectively to protect Australian interests, and why diverse and broad market access has never been more important…Read More

Opinion

Drought policy – why an urgent nationwide rethink is needed

In this contributed opinion article Roma farmer Charles Nason outlines how decades of strategic thinking on drought policy have been alarmingly overlooked or ignored and outlines why drought policy must be seen as an issue of critical importance to every Australian…Read More

Opinion

Catalyst’s claims about beef don’t hold water

A television presenter standing in Adelaide’s Rundle Mall with 20 litres of water and a 500-gram steak asks passing shoppers how much beef they think could be produced on a farm using that amount of water.

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Opinion

Cattle ticks: Letter to the editor – Dr Allison Crook, Biosecurity Qld

I am writing in response to the recent articles in BeefCentral regarding the new cattle tick treatment arrangements in Queensland…Read More

Opinion

Australian beef: Time to let the Ferrari out of the garage

Just when you thought the war on red meat had exhausted the limits of believability comes this: A large US based company is now refusing to refund employees for any work expenses they incur for meals that include meat…Read More

Opinion

Opinion: The reality of our northern cattle industry belies popular rhetoric

Despite a popular campaign over many years from animal activists and many politicians to replace northern live exports with slaughter at export abattoirs, the experience of AACo’s abattoir in Darwin suggests there is still no economic alternative to the live export trade for northern cattle, writes former Commonwealth public servant Brendan O’Reilly…Read More

Opinion

Tree laws – There is a better way!

If the Queensland Government cared to listen and embark on genuine consultation with food producers, it would learn that at fault is not what adjustment is made to the Vegetation Management Act, but the very basis of the Act itself, writes Wandoan beef producer Dale Stiller in this opinion piece. ..Read More

Opinion

Tree laws: farmers, environmentalists should work together and leave the politicians out of it

In this contributed opinion piece, North Queensland cattle producer Greg Brown, a former Cattle Council of Australia president and AgForce Cattle board chair, argues that farmers and environmentalists should bypass Governments and work together to find agreed long-term solutions to Queensland’s tree laws…Read More

Opinion

Dragging animal welfare through a kangaroo court

Activists tend to decry economics as a weak defence of poor behaviour, but this is a naive approach writes the Australian Farm Institute’s Katie McRobert

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Opinion

Opinion: Can Australian ag afford not to promote itself more actively?

Australian agriculture is a major brand relying on a handful of individual organisations and farmers to handle the critical job of maintaining and building consumer trust…Read More

Opinion

Opinion: Land clearing – putting the cart before the horse?

Land clearing has become a very  emotional issue, almost an article of faith (a church) and has thus become polarised with very little common ground or common sense. Why has it become so? What was the reason for it?..Read More

Opinion

Opinion: Australian Beef Association questions red meat report findings

ABA chief executive officer David Byard questions the findings of a recent report suggesting Australia is the world’s largest beef exporter and Australians eat more red than anybody else, and says industry representative groups need to work harder to build important supply chain cohesion…Read More