AgriFutures 5 Year Plan for Buffalo Research – Industry SurveyNeil MacDonald and Barry Lemcke have been contracted by AgriFutures (who collect buffalo industry levies) to develop a five year plan to guide future research and development for the Australian buffalo industry. This plan is also supported by the Australian and NT Buffalo Industry Councils. The timetable for this is quick as the plan is to be completed and presented by mid-December this year.
We are therefore seeking your input into priorities for the buffalo industry and how they can be addressed. These could be opportunities for the industry to increase in size and profitability, or strategies to address current and future threats to production and markets.
We are proposing to conduct industry consultation by phone within the next two weeks, so we would be pleased if you would nominate a suitable time as soon as possible when Barry Lemcke or Neil MacDonald could ring you for a discussion. If you would prefer to submit written advice, please do so. All input will be gratefully received, so please think hard and quickly on issues where you think there will be the greatest returns for research and development dollar for the Australian buffalo Industry. Don’t be afraid to think outside the square!
You will appreciate that there are boundaries that AgriFutures must stay within when allocating its funding for the Buffalo Industry from the levies collected from producers. Marketing, for example, is not an area that AgriFutures has responsibility for. Whilst in the recent past there has been some emphasis on the Riverine breed in particular, levy money comes mainly from the meat and live export sectors, so that is probably where priorities will focus unless there becomes a means of getting levy funds started from the dairy industry sometime in the future.
If you would prefer your advice or some of your comments to be treated confidentially, please let us know and we will abide by that.
Please pass this email on to anyone you think would be interested in contributing that maybe not known to those below.
Barry Lemcke Neil MacDonald
Phone: 08 8988 1689 (Most reliable) Mob: 0429095809 Phone 0401115885
Email handblemcke Email neilmacdonald1951