A NOTE FROM THE MD… MLA fosters the long‑term prosperity of the Australian red meat and livestock industry by delivering world‑class research, development and marketing outcomes. Cover (page 27): Augathella producers Geoff and Kate Swanson with their children Lucinda and Welcome to the July/August George. Image: Katrina Lehmann. What I’m working on Correction: The incorrect name was edition of Feedback magazine. printed in the article ‘Aussie beef At the moment I’m focused on a cut above’ on page 42, March/ Update on COVID-19 bringing our Strategic Plan April Feedback. It should have read: 2025 and Annual Investment Chef Wei Lien Ling, executive chef at COVID-19 is still causing disruptions in the A Cut Steakhouse in the Ambassador Plan 2020–21 to life and Hotel, Taipei. market, both in Australia and around the working on how we enhance world. MLA continues to support the red meat our engagement with all Have your say! supply chain by providing market information our stakeholders to deliver and marketing support. I encourage you MLA’s ambitious program We’d love to hear from you to listen to our fortnightly podcast, On the info@mla.com.au ground (mla.com.au/on‑the‑ground), which of work. There have been many lessons learned in the 02 9463 9333 was developed in response to COVID-19 way we engaged with our mla.com.au and provides the latest information from our stakeholders and consulted @meatandlivestockaustralia key markets. with them around our latest @meatlivestock MLA has been responded to this disruption Strategic Plan. It has reinforced meatandlivestock by adapting our marketing campaigns. We’ve to me the importance of completely reworked the majority of our keeping our stakeholders domestic beef marketing campaigns as the across the development Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and Paralympic of our plans and clearly Feedback is produced and Games have been postponed to 2021 communicating the things we published by Meat & Livestock (Australian Beef is an official partner), so we’ve are going to focus on. Australia Ltd (ABN 39 081 678 364). MLA acknowledges the matching tapped into new channels to market Australian My key priority over the funds provided by the Australian beef to domestic and global consumers. next few months Government to support the research and development detailed MLA has also launched its winter lamb As we have now entered into in this publication. campaign, ‘Share the Secret Recipe’ a new financial year and have This magazine was printed on Sumo (see page 4), which sets out to bridge the a new Strategic Plan, my main Offset Laser, an environmentally isolation gap and bring together Australians priority over the next few responsible paper manufactured of different ages and cultures through the months will be to work with under the environmental management system ISO 14001 using Elemental experience of cooking lamb. the MLA team to deliver this Chlorine Free (ECF) pulp sourced ambitious program of work from sustainable forests. Sumo These campaigns are important to support and ensure our research and Offset Laser is FSC Chain of Custody the growing demand for red meat in the retail (CoC) certified (mixed sources). marketing activities have real, sector. It is encouraging to see that since tangible impacts for producers. Disclaimer: February, Nielsen Homescan data shows fresh The views expressed in Feedback meat retail sales of beef and lamb in Australia are not necessarily those of MLA, its employees or agents. Feedback have increased against the same time last year: Have a question for me? content is provided as information not as advice and you should make your • beef: 27% value growth and 20% Jason Strong own enquiries before making decisions volume growth concerning your interests. All material in MLA Managing Director Feedback is copyright. Reproduction of • lamb: 21% value growth and 6% E: jstrong@mla.com.au the material is encouraged, however due acknowledgement to Feedback is required. volume growth. ■