Beef Central publishes an occasional summary of appointments, departures and achievements occurring across the red meat supply chain, both private sector and government. Send details for entries to admin@beefcentral.com

• New senior livestock, meat division roles for Rangers Valley
• Troncone returns to Wellard as non-executive director
• Growth for Allied Beef sees network expansion
• New directors for Angus Australia
• Vale Peter Castricum
• New Wonga Plains feedlot manager
• Herefords Australia appoints new GM and research manager
• Processors graduate from Australian Agribusiness Leadership Program
• MLA’s adds to global market access and intelligence team
• Transport awards in Darwin

New senior livestock, meat division roles at Rangers Valley

Rangers Valley feedlot near Glen Innes has appointed Andrew Malloy as its new Livestock Procurement Manager. Mr Malloy succeeds Richard Eldershaw, who left Rangers in April after 28 years in the role.

Mr Malloy has been involved in the beef industry for more than 20 years and has held senior management positions with large feedlot operators as well as sales roles with Zoetis in the animal health sector.

As part of a broader restructure of operations at Rangers Valley, he will report to Gary Pavey, who has been promoted into the new role of Supply Chain Manager, Livestock.

“This position is in line with the businesses strategic direction to focus on building our producer group network and improving the supply of cattle into the feedlot,” managing director Keith Howe said.

As a result of Gary Pavey’s transfer into livestock operations, Andrew Moore has been promoted into the role of meat divisional manager. Mr Moore has worked in the Rangers meat division for six years and has made a signification contribution to the meat function as well as advancements in developing and marketing the Rangers Valley beef brands. Nat Dull will take on the role of sales representative, previously filled by Mr Moore. Nat has been with Rangers for three years, most recently as sales & production coordinator. He will gradually take on customer management and perform his current role while the company recruits for his replacement.

Troncone returns to Wellard as non-executive director

Wellard Limited has added more live export experience to its board, on Tuesday announcing the appointment of Fred Troncone as a non-executive director.

Mr Troncone is a former CEO of Wellard Rural Exports, who left the company in mid-2015 to establish a consultancy in a range of industries, with a focus on digital strategies, organisational change and business transformation to leverage market conditions and business opportunities. He has had international business experience in South East Asia, China, the Middle East, Europe and Russia.

Wellard chairman David Griffiths said Mr Troncone’s appointment provided the Board with additional expertise and experience in live export. “The board was seeking a specific skillset and Fred possesses that,” he said. “He was instrumental in growing the Wellard Rural Exports business from 2009 to 2015 as well as overseeing enhanced reporting and planning systems. He is also highly committed to animal welfare.”

Key shareholders were consulted during the board’s due diligence process and all were supportive of Mr Troncone’s appointment, a Wellard statement said. His appointment will be proposed for shareholder ratification at the company’s annual general meeting in November.

Growth for Allied Beef sees network expansion

Growth within the Toowoomba-based Allied Beef supply chain management business has sparked a number of new staff appointments, building the company’s buyer network across eastern Australia.

The bigger sales/marketing footprint, now numbering six in the field, will focus on both Allied Beef cattle, as well as private client business, covering a range of categories including EU, Wagyu and conventional cattle, covering feeders, backgrounders, breeders and slaughter stock, both grain and grass. Here’s a quick run-down of the expanded Allied Beef team:

• Experienced and well-known Downs stock agent Warren Hohnke will be based at Allied head office in Toowoomba, servicing southern Queensland and northern NSW. He spent 15 years with Ruralco affiliate, GDL, based mostly at Wandoan, and prior to that, Primac at Oakey.
• Richard Murphy joins the Allied sales/marketing team, based at Inverell, where has he worked since 2010 for Bindaree Beef in both procurement and meat sales.
• Roger Stanton, based in Victoria, will service a region from southern NSW, Victoria and eastern parts of SA. Roger has broad experience in cattle buying, working previously for Thomas Foods International, NH Foods and Elders. His role will primarily be marketing of grainfed grassfed and feeder cattle in the southern region. Allied has had long-term placements of feeder cattle in southern yards, and that will expand under Roger’s watch.
• Grant Haddin, who has been with Allied for 12 months, is general manager for sales and marketing, based in Toowoomba, servicing western and southern Queensland. Peter Elmes continues in his sales/marketing role for Allied in western Queensland, based at Augathella.

The expanded east-coast footprint has presented a greater opportunity for cattle movement within the Allied network between southern and northern Australia, principal James Maclean told Beef Central.

New directors for Angus Australia

Queensland Angus seedstock breeder and businessman Jim Wedge is a new face on the Angus Australia board, following the breed’s annual general meeting held during the annual conference in Ballarat last month.

Mr Wedge, who runs the Ascot Angus stud near Warwick, is a new nationally-elected director of AA, joining Sam White and Dean Frederickson. They are joined state-elected directors for 2017, chair Libby Creek (SA), vice chair Brad Gilmour (VIC), Dr Laurence Denholm (NSW), Lindsay Wolridge (WA), Samantha Dobson (TAS), and Brett Piraner (QLD).

Stepping down from the board at the recent AGM were Mike Gadd from Victoria, who has served as an AA director since 2007, including terms as president and vice president, and Perry Gunner from South Australia

Vale Peter Castricum

Former managing director and chairman of Victorian processor Castricum Brothers, Peter Castricum, passed away peacefully recently aged 87. Born the eldest of 11 children in Holland, Peter (Piet) emigrated to Australia at the age of 20 in 1953.

A sixth generation butcher, Peter started a new life in Australia after the destruction brought by WWII in Europe. His family’s first butcher shop was in Dandenong West, with seven other shops soon following. Together with his father, he purchased the Ferntree Gully local abattoir in 1956. The business continued to expand and the business ventured into export, eventually building new export processing facilities at Dandenong in 1987 which involved the next generation of the family.

The Castricum brand in both beef and lamb became recognised for quality and integrity around the world. Castricum Brothers helped pioneer the lamb market in the US and Japan and much of the lamb market access enjoyed today is due to the vision and commitment of operators like Castricums.

Mr Castricum was a highly respected member of the Victorian meat industry, a staunch supporter of Australian Meat Exporters Federal Council and was a testament to what the industry and Australia could offer to those with vision and the determination to build a great future within the red meat sector. Castricums sold the export business and the Dandenong plant in 2011 to concentrate on their wholesale business.

Herefords Australia appoints new GM and research manager

Herefords Australia has promoted Andrew Donoghue, previously the organisation’s breed development manager, as its new general manager. Mr Donoghue’s role will be to focus on providing high quality services to all classes of members, a HA statement said. To this end, the board said it would ensure that Mr Donoghue has the support and facilities to build a staff that is well-equipped to ensure that elements such as the constitutional review, member services and finances are managed to an exemplary standard.

Mr Donoghue is highly regarded within the Hereford breed and throughout the beef industry. The Board said it had every confidence that Mr Donoghue will ensure delivery of the change process, services to members and a renewed confidence in the Hereford breed.

His appointment follows the recent resignation of Dr Alex Ball, after 12 months as GM. Dr Ball has agreed to continue on as manager of research and technical implementation for HA. He brings a proven track record in key areas such as genetics, eating quality and commercial engagement.

“Dr Ball is highly regarded within the Hereford breed and his role will be to ensure that Herefords Australia creates the opportunity for breeders to be at the forefront of many of the exciting developments that are happening within the Australian beef industry. The board believes that this role provides the environment for Dr Ball to continue to challenge the breed to move forward,” the HA statement said.

New Wonga Plains feedlot manager

Amanda Moorhen has been promoted to the position of feedlot manager at Camm Agriculture’s Wonga Plains feedlot near Dalby on the Darling Downs. Ms Moorhen has transitioned into the role over the past couple of months, as Bryce Camm focuses more on his CEO role with Camm Agriculture Group.

She studied agricultural science at USQ, majoring in lotfeeding, before working with NH Foods for a period, before joining Wonga Plains in an admin role seven and a half years ago and working her way through the ranks.

Ms Moorhen joins a growing population of female feedlot managers in Australia, including Emily Perkins at JBS Prime City, near Griffith, and Brianna Daly at Ladysmith in NSW. She was one of the inaugural intake of proteges in the Beef 2015 Graeme Acton Connections mentoring program, and was a founder of the successful Women of Lot Feeding (WoLF) network.

Transport awards in Darwin

Several stakeholder awards were presented during the Australian Trucking Association’s recent Trucking Australia conference in Darwin.

The event was topped off by a Gala Dinner on Saturday night and presentation of the Australian Trucking Awards. This years’ Kenworth Legends award recipients were Roger Pickering (Pickering Transport Group) and Loraine and Peter Gilbert (Gilbert Transport Services).

Processors graduate from Agribusiness Leadership Program

Three red meat processing stakeholders were among the graduates announced this month from the 2017 Australian Agribusiness Leadership Program, run by the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation.

Among the 2017 graduates were Bradley Siddans from Oakey Beef Exports, Renee Teys from Teys Australia and Scott Glasser, from Millmerran Meat Holdings. The Australian Agribusiness Leadership Program is a bespoke leadership development program tailored to the needs of the Australian agribusiness sector. It encourages participants to develop greater self-awareness and adaptability in their leadership style and approach.

AMPC funded participation in this year’s program, committing to four scholarships annually until 2019. Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister, Luke Hartsyuker presented the certificates.

MLA’s adds to global market access and intelligence team

Meat & Livestock Australia says it is increasing its support for international markets, allocating more resources to the key program areas of global market access and market insights. The changes include several key appointments in MLA’s global data collection and reporting to enhance industry support of the Australian Government’s efforts to open up new markets for Australian red meat and livestock.

Appointed global manager, industry insights and strategy is Natalie Isaac, who joined MLA from Coca Cola in February last year to head up the global research and insights team. In her expanded role, Ms Isaac, who has a background in commercial analysis, category strategy and research will now lead MLA’s global data collection and reporting, market intelligence and research team. She will take responsibility for enhancements of MLA’s prices and markets reports to increase both the type and speed of available data, while allowing users to better customise reports and undertake analysis, an MLA statement said.

MLA’s existing investment in market access includes a network of key relationships around the globe, maintained in Australia and overseas by MLA’s international business managers. Within that team, MLA’s global manager, trade and market access, Andrew McCallum, has been joined by former Cattle Council of Australia staffmember Mary Johnson in the newly-created position of assistant manager.

Her role will ensure stakeholders are engaged in strategy development and industry is fully-informed of progress and new developments. The appointment bolsters the role played by MLA in coordinating research into reducing market access barriers and developing industry position papers for government.

“Providing the Federal Government with credible research into access issues and delivering  coordinated industry positions on key issues is critical for positioning our industry in trade negotiations and for guiding in-market activities in what has become an increasingly complex and uncertain environment,” MLA’s general manager, international markets Michael Finucan said.

To further strengthen MLA’s response to the United Kingdom’s ‘Brexit’ decision, MLA has added to its UK team to include a communications specialist.

“Being permanently based in-market and working hand in hand with the Australian Government gives our red meat industry a significant advantage over other commodity groups – we’re able to keep red meat front of mind with our embassy staff and help drive strategic trade reforms such as free trade agreement negotiations,” Mr Finucan said.