SHEEP and beef producers will be able to watch Meat and Livestock Australia’s annual general meeting and forum live from anywhere in the country next week.

The MLA AGM, in Brisbane on November 10, will be live-streamed for the first time.

MLA is the marketing and research and development body for Australia’s red meat industry with almost 50,000 members.

Producers need to register through the MLA website for online access to the MLA Producer Forum and the managing director and chair’s address during the AGM.

The AGM will be held next Tuesday from 2 pm in the ‘Chelsea Boardroom’, 85-87 North Quay, Mercure Hotel, Brisbane. The producer forum starts at 11am.

MLA managing director Richard Norton said it was crucial that as a producer-owned organisation, members had every chance to be involved in how their levies were invested and setting the future direction of MLA.

At the AGM, members will also be asked to vote on the appointment of three first-time nominees as MLA directors, and for the first time cattle producer members will elect an additional grassfed cattle representative to the Board Director Selection Committee.

Levy payers will also be able to ask questions at the AGM or submit questions online, prior to the event, via the MLA website.

“Voting, and submitting questions are important ways that producers can be directly involved and we want our members to have greater input into the company’s direction than ever before,” Mr Norton said.

At the producer forum, key senior MLA staff will provide an overview of levy investments across the business – from research and development, marketing and international business areas.

MLA Producer Forum and AGM agenda

8am – Red Meat Advisory Council (RMAC) Forum

10.30am – Morning tea and registration opens for MLA AGM

11am – MLA Producer Forum, hosted by MC Geoff Maynard, current MLA Board member and central Queensland producer.

11.05am – Red meat in the 21st century – modernising the beef and sheepmeat industries, Dr Alex Ball, General Manager – Red Meat Innovation.

11.20am – The path to productivity through on-farm R&D, Dr Matthew McDonagh, General Manager – On-farm Innovation and Adoption.

11.35am MSA – driving profit to farm-gate, Dr Jane Weatherley, General Manager – Livestock Productivity, and James Bjorksten, cattle producer, Yeoval NSW.

11.55am – Australian red meat – centre stage in the global market, Lisa Sharp, General Manager – Central Marketing and Industry Insights and Michael Finucan, General Manager – International Marketing.

12.25pm – Panel session with all speakers.

1pm – Lunch

2pm – MLA AGM – Chair and managing director’s address, director elections, election of the additional cattle representative to the selection committee voting, questions to the board.

4.30pm – AGM concludes followed by post-AGM barbecue for all attendees.

MLA members not attending the AGM can still vote by proxy or attorney – by completing and returning their proxy form by post or online atwww.computershare.com.au/mlavoting by 2pm (Qld time) this Sunday, November 8.

For replacement member proxy forms email [email protected] or call 1800 675 717.

• Pre-registration for live streaming is essential. For more information and to register, visit www.mla.com.au/agm2015
• Members can also submit questions to the AGM ahead of the event.
• Recordings of the presentations will be available on the MLA website following the event.

Source: MLA.