Guy Barnett,Minister for Primary Industries and Water
A new steering committee will help ensure that Tasmania’s red meat industry remains strong and competitive as we re-establish supply chains during the rebuild from COVID-19.
Today I attended the inaugural meeting of the Tasmanian Red Meat Industry Steering Committee, hosted by the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association.
The Steering Committee is chaired by producer Brett Hall, with membership made up from a broad cross section of the red meat supply chain.
Tasmania’s meat industry is vital to our economy with a farm gate value of $456 million (Agri-Food scorecard 2017-18).
The Steering Committee is responsible for pursuing the objectives outlined in the 2016 Tasmanian Red Meat Industry Strategic Plan and will focus on issues that are specific to the Tasmanian meat industry.
The group will also seek input as required from key stakeholders including producers, livestock agents/ buyers and wholesalers, transport operators and other industry representatives and organisations.
The Tasmanian Government made a four-year, $1 million budget commitment in 2018-19 to support and expand a sustainable livestock industry, and it is a key part of our Agri-Food plan which aims to grow the farm gate value of agriculture to $10 billion by 2050.
The work of the Steering Committee will also be informed by the recommendations made in 2019 by the Tasmanian Meat Industry Working Group, chaired by Leonie Hiscutt MLC, and the independent feasibility study undertaken into on-island meat processing undertaken at the same time.
The new Tasmanian Red Meat Industry Steering Committee members include: Brett Hall (Chair), Felicity Richards, Tas (Duncan) Loane, John Ramsay, Peter Greenham, Bob Gozzi, John Tuskin, Marcus Vermey, Cheryl McCartie, Leanne Sherriff, Clare Peltzer.
