VICTORIAN, Western Australian, South Australian and Tasmanian state finalists for the inaugural Meat Standards Australia Excellence in Eating Quality awards have been released this morning, as the countdown continues to the selection of six state winners of the MSA Producer of the Year award in early April.

Victoria’s inaugural finalists are:

• Black Mountain Pastoral Co – Wulgulmerang
• Gary Coventry – Benalla
• Antonio and Rosa Gentile – Coral Bank.

The winner will be announced at a free producer forum, dinner and awards ceremony in Bendigo on Tuesday, 5 April (see full details on each event at bottom of page)

The 2016 Western Australian finalists are:

• Donald & Barbara Bell – Redmond
• Steven Pinzone – Waroona
• Gerald Young – Bridgetown

The winner will be announced at a free producer forum, dinner and awards ceremony in Bunbury on Thursday, 14 April.

The 2016 South Australian finalists are:

• Wayne Barton – Normanville
• Angus McLachlan – Mount Pleasant
• James & Angela Schutz – Hindmarsh Valley.

The winner will be announced at a free producer forum, dinner and awards ceremony in Hahndorf on Tuesday, 12 April.

The 2016 Tasmanian finalists are:

• Dale Beswick – Wynyard
• Shaun Howe – Mole Creek
• Phillip & Gaylene Hughes – Kindred.

The winner will be announced at a free producer forum, dinner and awards ceremony in Launceston on Thursday, 7 April.

Finalists for NSW and Queensland were announced in this article published on Beef Central earlier this week.

Depending on location the dinners and awards will also feature either Australian cricket legends Merv Hughes or Max Walker, or former World Cup winning Wallaby Tim Horan as special guest speaker.

The awards are a chance to recognise each state’s top producers who have achieved outstanding compliance rates to MSA specifications, as well as high eating quality performance, as represented by MSA Index results for cattle MSA graded during 2014-15.

The producer forums will provide an opportunity for all producers to gain greater insight into the future direction of the MSA program and the future of the Australian beef industry – regardless of whether they are already involved in the MSA program or not.

Michael Crowley

MSA was developed by the Australian red meat industry to improve beef eating quality consistency. The system is based on more than 700,000 consumer taste tests by over 100,000 consumers from nine countries, and takes into account all factors that affect the eating quality from the paddock to the plate.

Meat & Livestock Australia’s MSA program manager, Michael Crowley said the six state awards were a great opportunity to recognise some of each region’s top beef producers for their hard work, dedication and quality produce.

“These finalists have achieved the best results for all MSA producers in their state, and thoroughly deserve their place in the awards,” Mr Crowley said.

“All MSA producers work extremely hard to produce a quality product that meets MSA criteria. It is their dedication that has ensured the MSA program continues to grow and products underpinned by MSA grading have such a strong reputation among consumers.”

Where and when?

The respective Victorian, SA, WA and Tassie awards and producer forums are free and open to everyone, but registration is essential. Here’s the details in your state:

Victorian event: Tuesday 5 April, 2pm – 8pm. All Seasons Bendigo, 171-183 McIvor Road, Strathdale 3550. RSVP by 24 March. To find out more information about the Victorian Awards and forum and to register, click here.

Western Australian event: Thursday, 14 April, 2-8pm, Lighthouse Beach Resort, Carey Street, Bunbury. RSVP by 4 April. To find out more information about the WA awards and forum and to register, click here.

South Australian event: Tuesday,12 April, 11am-8pm, Adelaide Hills Convention Centre, 145A Mount Barker Road, Hahndorf (NB: this event will be held in conjunction with the SA Sheep Industry Blueprint launch). RSVP by 1 April. To find out more information about the SA Awards and forum and to register, click here.

Tasmanian event: Thursday 7 April, 2-8pm, Tailrace Centre, 1 Waterfront Drive, Riverside Launceston.   RSVP by 29 March. To find out more information about the Tasmanian Awards and forum and to register, click here.