MLA managing director Jason Strong will be a speaker at the coming MeatUp forums

SHEEP and goat meat marketing, strategic industry and breeding insights will be shared in a series of MeatUp forums set to start in South Australia and New South Wales next month.

Red meat producers can hear the latest regionally-relevant insights from research, development and adoption (RD&A) programs funded by Meat & Livestock Australia when a new series of local events starts in March.

MeatUp forums will be held mainly throughout southern Australia for beef, sheep meat and goat meat producers to access practical, whole-of-business information and tools they can use on-farm to improve productivity and profitability.

MeatUp forums in 2021 will be held at the following locations:

• 5 March: Gawler, South Australia
• 23 March: Cobar, NSW
• 25 March: Charleville, Queensland
• 23 June:  Broken Hill, NSW
• 25 June: Port Augusta, SA
• 5 August: Perth, WA
• 19 August: Tailem Bend, SA
• 2 September: Dubbo, NSW

MLA general manager, research, development and adoption, Michael Crowley, said the program for each MeatUp forum has been designed by producers from the local region through producer working groups, to ensure topics, content and presenters are regionally relevant.

“MLA has taken the fundamental principles of some of its most popular producer extension programs to create the all-encompassing MeatUp forums,” Mr Crowley said.

“MeatUp forums are designed to demonstrate the value of implementing new practices or technology on-farm.

“They will link with other MLA activities, programs and projects that producers can get involved in to enable them to further build knowledge and skills.”

Registrations are open for the first MeatUp forums at Gawler, and in the Rangelands at Cobar and Charleville.

Lamb producer and consultant Jasoon Trompf on his property.

Highlights of the Gawler program include:

• MLA managing director, Jason Strong
• Launch of the updated SA Sheep Industry Blueprint
• Simon Quilty: Beef and sheep meat – a global outlook
• Jason Trompf: What is next with breeding values for commercial producers?

At both of the Rangelands Forums, speakers and topics include:

• MLA general manager, research, development and adoption, Michael Crowley
• Jason Trompf, Lambs Alive: leading a panel including Russell Lethbridge and Mark Murphy, on refocusing your rangeland reproduction
• MLA Carbon Neutral 2030 (CN30) manager, Margaret Jewell: Carbon Neutral by 2030 and feed additives to reduce carbon emissions.

MeatUp forums are free for red meat levy payers and $50 (excluding GST) for non-red meat levy payers.

Registration is essential for catering purposes. To register and for more information, click here.

MLA said while it is intended for these events to be run primarily in-person, this might change given any COVID-19 travel restrictions and health advice. The forums will run in an alternative format if face-to-face is not possible, in accordance with any state and federal government restrictions. Those who register will be advised should any change occur. The MeatUp forums are an MLA initiative and will be delivered by Pinion Advisory.

Source – MLA.