ABA Claim to Expose MLA's 'Corporate Culture'
AUSTRALIA - Australian Beef Association Chairman, Brad Bellinger said today, The Producer Meat Company Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), was following Wall Street's example by rewarding its senior executives when they have failed their 'stakeholders' completely.
28 October 2008
2 minute read
He said, "The so -called Producer Owned Company" MLA is paying senior managers between $300,000 and $500,000 and asking for a fee rise for their Directors, as well as a review of the $5 per head transaction levy. They must have hides like rhinoceroses".
He continued, "Minister for Agriculture Tony Burke and MLA Chairman fly around the World together and cook steaks at Parliament House to tell everyone how well the beef industry is going".
"I have news for them - the stakeholders' the cattle producers who Minister Burke compels to pay the levy are going out backwards. Australia sits on the Global Beef Price Ladder just above the bankrupt Argentina and falling - fast. This week the table (dressed weight per kg in Australian dollars) reads ' the UK $7.12, Italy $6.96, Netherlands $6.70, Germany $6.60, France $6.38, Uruguay $5.02, US $4.92, Brazil $3.66, Australia $3.14, and the politically price capped Argentina at $2.64."
Brad Bellinger said, "We have been told for years that we lead the World with Meat Standards Australia (MSA) and National Livestock Identification System (NLIS). We are constantly told that our cattle prices are good. Even a 30 cent liveweight drop (from a low base) in three weeks is not noted in the rural media.
"Why are we paying the highest levies and using the most expensive Quality Assurance and Trace-back systems all imposed on producers by the MLA and we are getting the second lowest prices in the developed world?" ABA asked.
"Is our 'Best Beef in the World', really the worst in the developed world, or is the MLA the worst promoters in the world? Do we produce a third world product, or are we led by ivory tower incompetents? The answer to that one is a very obvious 'Yes'."
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