BEEF producers achieving outstanding compliance rates to Australia's eating quality grading system Meat Standards Australia will be recognised at a series of award events around the country next month.
Hosted by Meat & Livestock Australia, finalists in the 2019 MSA Excellence in Eating Quality Awards have now been announced.
The Victorian event will be held at Lancefield on 17 September.
The awards are presented to those who best meet MSA specifications and achieve high eating quality performance, as represented by MSA Index results for MSA graded cattle during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 financial years.
They will be presented for 'Most Outstanding MSA Feedlot'; along with two awards for 'Most Outstanding MSA Beef Producers' to recognise producers of both large and small (non-feedlot) MSA consignment volumes. One producer will also win the MSA Excellence in Eating Quality Progress Award for showing the greatest improvement in their MSA results since the last awards series in 2017.
Australian 'Lambassador', Sam Kekovich, will be guest speaker at the events, which are being staged in conjunction with the 'Consumer trends driving on-farm change' producer forum.
MSA Program Manager Sarah Strachan said the awards were a great opportunity to recognise producers who were committed to producing beef that consistently achieved exceptional compliance rates to MSA's strict specifications and delivered a superior eating experience to consumers.
"It's a major achievement to be named a finalist, given that more than 15,000 producers throughout Australia consigned over 6.6 million cattle to the MSA program throughout the 2017-18 and 2018-19 period," Ms Strachan said.
The Victorian finalists are:
Most Outstanding MSA Feedlot:
- Alloa Pastoral Co Pty Ltd - Alloa Feedlot Milawa
- Charlton Feedlot Pty Ltd (Teys Australia), Charlton
- RM Gillett & Co Pty Ltd, Jalna Feedlot, Anakie
Most Outstanding MSA Beef Producer (Band 1):
- Gwandallon Holdings, Meadow Creek
- Rose Grange Pastoral Co, Rockleigh, Little River
- PJ & K & LT Wadley, Oxley Park, Laceby
Most Outstanding MSA Beef Producer (Band 2):
- Damian Christian, Bye Creek, Chiltern
- CW & IJ Delmenico, Ultima
- Glenample Air Pty Ltd, Port Campbell
MSA Progress Award:
- Houston Pastoral Co, Burrowye Station, Wodonga
- K & SE Nankervis, Corryong
- G & L Van Dyke, Port Franklin
To find out more information about the MSA Program and the MSA Awards criteria visit: http://www.mla.com.au/msa