Chairwoman’s Update

Two years ago when I put my hand up to take on the role of Chairperson of WA Angus, I did experience a mix of emotion.

As a female I was proud to take my turn as Chairperson, although my contribution pales into insignificance compared with my predecessors, Pat Willliams and Pam McGregor, who were trailblazers in the Angus world. My biggest fear was that my knowledge of the cattle industry would not be enough, and I was also daunted at the prospect of running meetings with exceptionally experienced Angus producers. Along the way I have faced challenges that have stretched me in ways I would never have dreamed.

Who would have thought that the July 2020 meeting would have been held remotely, with each of the committee members attending from their homes as well as the attendance of the Angus Australia President, CEO and senior staff from the other side of the country? That was a challenge! And of course, the natural progression is that this is a legitimate and logical way to attend all meetings if you physically can’t make it to a face-to-face meeting due to the general busyness of farm life, distance or a state closed border (in the case of Angus Australian people not being able to visit). At the last meeting in October, we had members in the President’s Lounge at the RAS, members attending from their home via Zoom, the Angus Australia CEO attending via Zoom from Armidale NSW (although he could well have been in his own home, as pockets of rural NSW were in lockdown) and the Chief Veterinarian Office of our government agricultural body giving a presentation, including a Powerpoint. Now THAT was a challenge! Over the two years there have been a number of controversial topics that I could not shy away from, including submitting to the Cattle Industry Funding Scheme in favour of maintaining regulation of BJD in WA. That represents a week of my life and a great deal of angst I won’t get back, as I was very aware that there were some different points of view from within our own breed society. The result of the submission process was that over 80% of respondents were in favour of maintaining strict regulation or increasing it. To be honest, I’m still scratching my head that shortly after this lengthy and I assume expensive process, with the announcement of one positive case in the south of WA, DPIRD has elected to pass the ball back into the hands of the breeder, particularly the seed stock producer. There seems to be little information available around the development of an early detection test for BJD or when a vaccination will be available for those who wish to use it as a means of managing the disease moving forward. Rumour and innuendo and the loss of confidence in the governing body is an unfortunate outcome as breeders are left to manage the situation. The changes made by Angus Australia to the $Indexes just before Christmas 2020 was also a time of much angst for me and resulted in a number of extraordinary meetings being held. Thank goodness we did have the capacity for on-line meetings. After a number of difficult conversations, we managed to negotiate a favourable outcome and hopefully a greater understanding that Australia is a big country with a variety of cattle growing parameters and situations.

A highlight for me was the success achieved by my fellow Mid-West resident and cattle advocate, Billi Marshall at the 2020 Angus Youth National Roundup. Billi was sponsored by WA Angus through the voluntary levy of WA members and was awarded the Trans-Tasman Exchange Scholarship. I’ve worked with Billi over the last 5 – 10 years in a number of cattle related areas, and in my opinion, she is a standout. It was so unfortunate that she was unable to go to New Zealand to enjoy her scholarship award, but I know that Billi will continue to do great things in the livestock industry.

CHAIRWOMAN’S UPDATE

I would like to take this opportunity to wish Angus Australia CEO, Mr Peter Parnell all the very best in his future endeavours, as he steps down from his role. Armidale in NSW is a long way from Western Australia, and in the time that I have been involved with WA Angus, Peter has visited our state many times. He has always been very approachable, has worked tirelessly to ensure the Angus breed prioritises its market edge by constantly maintaining a focus on state-of the-art research and development, whilst at the same time ensuring the data and tools are communicated to members. My best wishes to incoming CEO, Mr Scott Wright. I would also like to thank Federal President, Mr Sam White for his leadership of Angus Australia, and for specifically listening to the queries of West Australian members. By the time of reading this, the 2021/22 Farm Weekly Heifer competition will be in full swing, with a new co-sponsor this year, Direct Trade Supplies from Maddington. The lucky winner will receive ten purebred Angus Heifers supplied by Tomasi Grazing from Karridale as well as $12,000 worth of tools or fencing supplies from DTS. Thank you very much to all those who contribute to the sponsorship which helps to pay for half of the cost of the heifers. This year we have increased the number of sponsors to 42, which is excellent.

The last two years have presented many challenges for people around the world, and certainly in many parts of Australia. In WA we’ve been very fortunate in the way that COVID has been kept at bay, although our isolation from the rest of the country is not without its issues. I particularly feel for families from within Australia or overseas, who have been separated for an extended period. I have a local friend whose son lives in Sydney with his West Aussie wife, with no other family support close by. They had their first baby at the start of COVID, so she is now 19 months old and they are expecting their second child any day. Both sets of West Aussie grandparents have seen their first grandchild only once. I’m sure many of you will be in or know of similar situations.

In my cyclone ravaged part of the world, recovery is slow and many people are still doing it tough and living in less-than-ideal circumstances, such as under tarped covered rooves, which are starting to feel normal! In these uncertain times, I am reminded of two things: 1. We are stronger than we believe and can endure more than we think we can. 2. Showing kindness and compassion to one another is the best way we can live. During this festive season, I hope you have all been able to take some time to slow down, have reflected on your strength/capacities and have been able to reset your kindness/compassion monitor. And of course, I hope you are relishing the fantastic beef prices we are currently experiencing. Thanks for the privilege of having chaired the WA Angus Committee. I have worked hard, but the rewards I’ve reaped have been greater than I would ever have imagined.

Liz Sudlow (WA Angus Chairperson)