Beef levy funding review underway

The committee formed to review the beef marketing funding levy is inviting submissions from cattle levy payers and other industry stakeholders.

The Beef Marketing Funding Committee is currently looking into the funding requirements for Meat and Livestock Australia��s domestic and international marketing programs.

The beef marketing levy increased by $1.50 on 1 January 2006 after cattle producers voted in a nationwide poll in 2005 to increase the amount needed for beef marketing.

This took the overall cattle transaction levy to $5.00 per head, effective from 1 January 2006.

In mid-2009, it will propose a per head transaction levy rate to meet these requirements.

This proposal will then be put to a vote of levy payers to determine industry support.

The call for public submissions has been made to ensure the committee undertakes a comprehensive analysis, which considers the needs of all cattle levy payers.

Submissions must address the following criteria:

? Issues, challenges and opportunities for marketing Australian beef and live exports.

?The supply outlook for Australian beef and cattle including herd size, location and composition, age of turnoff, production methods, carcase attributes and weights.

? Priority areas for industry marketing strategies.

written submissions must be no longer than 2,000 words and should be mailed to:

Beef Marketing Funding Committee

Locked Bag 991

North Sydney NSW 2059

I am a supporter of the MLA but it is cattle producers who pay the levy and what results have we seen? Cattle prices at the farm gate have changed very little in the past 20 years.

MLA put their hand out for more funding through a levy rise which I supported but unless we see a correction in the farm gate price of cattle I will find it difficult to support any increase in the cost of MLA management and funding.

The previous beef ballot was held under very suspect circumstance with no 3rd party audit allowed on the vote.

This time there should be an option for a 0 levy included and the ballot properly scrutinised.

Any levy should be tied to the sale value, not per animal….a calf worth $200 is taxed at the same rate as a beast worth $1200.

Over the last nine years, the farm price of stock has not increased, yet these overheads continue to rise for the producer.

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