NSW Farmers’ push to create a mandatory code of conduct for saleyard buyers to help bring transparency to the red meat processing industry has been welcomed by a federal government inquiry into the sector.
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Producers and industry groups spoke at Wednesday’s Senate Inquiry – chaired by Senator Glenn Sterle – at the Albury Entertainment Centre, highlighting what they saw as major issues in the meat industry, predominately around the saleyard.
NSW Farmers told the inquiry the cloud of collusion would continue to hang over the saleyard process unless changes were implemented to make the process more transparent.
“We are really looking for a code of conduct so the saleyards can operate with the producers on fixing the system,” NSW Farmers president Derek Schoen, of Corowa, said.
West Australian Senator Sterle was astounded there was no qualification or prerequisite required to act as a commission buyer at saleyards.
“I’m unashamedly interested in pursuing the NSW Farmers proposal for a mandatory code of conduct with the buyers,” Senator Sterle said after yesterday’s hearing, reiterating what he said to the packed public hearing room.
“I’m gobsmacked that I can walk in there in my Havaianas and Bintang singlet and start bidding and no-one would know who the hell I am, let alone who I’m buying for.”
I’m gobsmacked that I can walk in there in my Havaianas and Bintang singlet and start bidding and no-one would know who the hell I am, let alone who I’m buying for.
- Senator Glenn Sterle
Victorian Farmers Federation president Ian Feldtmann agreed a mandatory code was important.
“Then not only do the producers understand what basis they’re operating under but those buyers have a clear understanding of what they must operate under,” Mr Feldtmann told the hearing.
“That’s a very important part of what needs to develop out of where we are today.”
The inquiry was unable to find any solid evidence to support overwhelming hearsay of collusion among commission buyers.
Meat And Livestock Australia managing director Richard Norton was asked by Senator Bridget McKenzie if he saw any form of collusion during his time working as an agent, several years ago.
“I have not seen or heard of collusive behaviour in the time I was an agent,” Mr Norton said.
“In the training I received during that time, if I had seen it I would have had to contact the lawyers straight away.”
The MLA said development in sheep meat grading technology had the potential to replace subjective reporting operations by processors with objective meat profiles within 12 months.
