MEAT industry competition, technology, trade, biosecurity and mental health will be discussed at the 2016 Livestock Saleyards Association of Victoria conference on August 11-12.

The annual conference at the Pullman on the Park Hotel in Melbourne will be opened by Victoria’s Minister for Agriculture Jaala Pulford, who will be supported by a top line-up of industry and government speakers.

Newly-appointed Australian Competition and Consumer Commission commissioner Mick Keogh will outline the work of the new ACCC Agriculture Unit and agribusiness consultant Dr David McKinna will speak on future meat marketing directions.

Rabobank’s Angus Gridley Baird will speak on the impact of recent free trade agreements on agriculture and Victoria’s chief veterinary officer Dr Charles Milne will outline the state of the state’s preparedness for an exotic disease outbreak and his experiences of the most recent UK outbreak.

BeyondBlue chairman and former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett will the guest speaker for the conference dinner on August 11.

LSAV executive officer Mark McDonald said the final session on August 12 is entitled ‘New Ideas and New Technology’ and will cover a range of speakers representing new and emerging technologies that could be of value to saleyards in the future. These cover existing saleyard equipment as well as new options like solar power and battery storage, drones and alternate sources of funding, he said.

Mr McDonald said the two-day conference will also include the usual Saleyard Managers Forum, LSAV annual general meeting and sponsors interaction on the Thursday afternoon. The sponsor component will include a ‘speed dating’ session which will ensure everybody gets a chance to talk with our sponsors.

The saleyard manager’s forum will be spilt into two sections; a manager-only session followed by industry technical sessions.

Click here for preliminary program details. More information on the conference is available on www.lsav.com.au