Australian beef paid tribute to some of its most innovative, dedicated and trailblazing people at a gala dinner event at Beef Australia in Rockhampton tonight.
The Rabobank Beef Industry Awards dinner attracted a 700-strong audience which included renowned beef industry identities, rising stars of the game and plenty of movers and shakers.
The 2024 Queensland Country Life Red Meat Achiever Award was presented to Central Queensland breeder and trader Adam Coffey.
Not only has Mr Coffey and his wife Jacynta been at the forefront of innovation in terms of management of their operation, Boreelum near Miriam Vale, but Mr Coffey has played an incredible role in advocating for the livestock industry.
He is a director with the relatively-new peak grassfed producer body Cattle Australia, and served for a period as its chief executive officer last year.
He is also renowned for his ability as a beef advocate on social media.
The QCL Award received a very large number of nominations this year and the runner-up title went to Victorian red meat analyst Matt Dalgleish, of Episode 3.
Nominations for Mr Dalgleish praised the real-world application of his analysis and his ability to distill complex data into digestible information.
Rising star
The award recognises young, forward-thinking and high-achieving people working in the beef sector.
Presenting the award, Rabobank Australia chief executive officer Mark Wiessing said Charles Vaughan's leadership and vision extended beyond his own animal health business servicing the pastoral and export sectors, with his role at Australian Cattle Enterprises, an integrated cattle company based in Darwin and biosecurity projects undertaken in South East Asia.
Dr Vaughan is also a strong industry advocate - in 2023 representing the Northern Territory Live Exporters Association in Vietnam at the Australian Beef Cattle Symposium.
He will receiving a scholarship to attend the Rabobank Executive Development Program, designed to develop a strategic planning mindset and commercial management skills.
RW Vincent Award
Meanwhile, the prestigious RW Vincent Award, given by the Australian Registered Cattle Breeders Association for long-term service to beef breeding, went to Armidale's Steve Skinner.
Mr Skinner will retire at the end of May after more than 30 years with the marketers of Breedplan, the Agricultural Business Research Institute at the University of New England.
