CEO Message November
The end of year is fast approaching and with the 30 December deadline for EUDR compliance still in place, it’s now urgent that EU-exporting producers take action.
To date, around half of EUCAS-accredited producers are yet to opt in to the LPA Geolocation Tool. This poses a real risk that beef exports now on the water will not meet the EUDR requirements when they arrive. Fortunately, new provisions which allow for a six-month transition period are currently under review and awaiting final confirmation.
However, to avoid any future risk of EU ineligibility, producers should take steps to share their geolocation data by opting in to the LPA Geolocation Tool, as soon as possible. For more information, refer to this month’s EUDR story.
Pest control
In recent months, we’ve seen a recurring theme with producers looking for more information about pest control strategies. In response, we have an article in this edition looking at strategies for controlling feral pigs. This will be the first in a series looking at a different pest each month.
If there are any other topics or problems you’d be interested in hearing more about, please consider completing the Audience Survey this month. We’ve extended the deadline to Friday, 14 November and the survey is a great opportunity to share your thoughts on how we can improve the content.
Red meat integrity matters
MLA has just released the findings of its annual Community Sentiment Survey and it was gratifying to see that the majority of those surveyed believed cattle and lamb were being raised humanely, with a similar number seeing Australian producers as ethical and trustworthy.
Trust in the industry is at an all-time high, with four of the top five trust drivers aligning closely with our integrity systems. These included transparency and responsiveness; ethical practices; regulations and standards (with 49% agreeing these were effective, and 62% agreeing that we do the right thing), and industry complexity (with 61% acknowledging that animal welfare is a complex issue).
It was also telling that many respondents expressed an interest in the industry’s performance in specific issues managed via LPA accreditation, including animal health and welfare (68%), hormones (63%), feed additives (56%), antibiotic usage (53%) and vaccines (44%).
These results reflect many of the ways Australia’s integrity systems are supporting trust in the red meat industry and consumption in our domestic market. Systems that are enabling the Australian value chain to provide assurance and evidence for many of the issues that matter most to consumers.
The summary report covers a lot of ground in terms of what is top of mind for consumers and how they view the industry’s role more broadly, so I think it’s well worth a read if you have time.
eNVD user survey
The eNVD plays a key role in supporting this, and our team continues to work on improving and enhancing its functionality. Our eNVD user survey remains open for those who would like to provide feedback to help inform this work.
MLA Updates
In closing, I wanted to remind you that MLA Updates 2025 is heading to the Adelaide Convention Centre in a little over a week and there is still time to get tickets. It’s free to attend and you don’t need to be an MLA member to come along.
This year’s theme is Towards 2030: Driving prosperity through productivity, profitability and sustainability and I’ll be hosting a panel discussion on the Thursday (20 November) looking at How technology is reshaping agriculture.
It would be great to see you there – but if you can’t make it in person, please follow our social media accounts for updates from the event.
Kind regards
Jo Quigley
ISC CEO