Julian Carroll, Loretta Carroll and Jane Carney travelled to the capital as part of a visit organised by the member for Indi Cathy McGowan.

Mr Carroll, the principal of Black Star Angus in Mudgegonga, said producers needed to be vocal.

“Visiting Canberra, contacting politicians, and writing submissions are all important ways to be heard,” he said.

“One fear the group holds is that the recent turnaround in beef prices will make beef producers complacent.

“We have no doubt that the processors are well organised and lobbying hard.

“It is imperative that producers continue to make noise and agitate for change.

“We can’t stress enough how important it is for concerned beef producers to lodge a submission on the effect of market consolidation on the red meat processing sector before the end of June.”

The main aim of the trio, who represented a group of producers including those in the Ovens Valley branch of the Victorian Farmers Federation, was to discuss with politicians the ramifications of two Senate inquiries.

The recommendations from the first, into the structures and levies imposed on grassfed beef producers, is now before the government while submissions into the inquiry dealing with the concentration of ownership of meat processing in the red meat industry close on June 30.

The delegation met senators Bill Heffernan and Glenn Sterle, and lower house members John Cobb, Joel Fitzgibbon (Shadow Agriculture Minister) and Andrew Henderson (adviser to Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce).

Ms Carroll said it was refreshing that all three parties had worked together on the Senate inquiry and recommendations for industry structures and systems governing levies on grass-fed cattle.

“The politicians we met with gave us a genuinely warm reception and were very forthcoming in their feedback, opinions and advice,” Ms Carroll, a beef and sheep producer from Mudgegonga,” said.

“We will have to wait for the government to release their response before we can really comment on it.

“But reading between the lines, we suspect the government will fall short of implementing all aspects of the seven Senate recommendations.”

Mr Carroll said while that would disappoint some, he thought there would still be positive change.

The delegation discussed the Senate inquiry — the effect of market consolidation on the red meat processing sector — and were pleased politicians shared their concerns.

“We learned that the senators involved in the earlier inquiry will be part of the current inquiry and so already have an excellent grasp of the problems facing the sector,” Mr Carroll said.

Ms McGowan said taking the Indi voice to Canberra was a key commitment.

“This was an opportunity for Indi beef producers to outline to government what is required to improve efficiencies in the production system, and to input to the Senate inquiry on the red meat processing sector,” she said.