TWO full-day workshops 'Building Meat Value Chains - A Conversation with OBE Organic', focused on supporting high value meat supply chains will be held this month at Bunbury and Albany.
The workshops are targeted at those interested in developing or strengthening skills to identify opportunities, build partnerships and develop market strategies for high value meat products and are open to all stakeholders in the meat industry.
They are an initiative of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development of Western Australia's Premium Beef Project in partnership with Meat and Livestock Australia.
The workshops' morning session will feature information packed presentations by the managing director of OBE Organic, Australia's first and most trusted exporter of premium, organic grassfed beef, Dalene Wray and the principals of McKinna agribusiness consultancy David McKinna and Catherine Wall.
OBE Organic was established in the 1990s and was Australia's first premium fully certified organic supply chain dedicated to the production of organic beef.
It was formed by a group of innovative pastoral families from western Queensland's Channel Country.
Its current shareholders own and graze more than eight million hectares of land, producing certified organic and Halal product that is exported around the world.
Ms Wray is the company's longest-serving employee and over the years, has overseen many aspects of the business.
She will be sharing the history of how this successful beef exporting business was developed by farming families and how it converted a crisis into a sustainable competitive advantage.
David McKinna founded McKINNA in 1983, creating one of the first specialist strategy consultancies in Australia.
A subsequent 30 years of consulting globally has given him deep insight into how markets work.
Mr McKinna and his co-worker Catherine Wall, who will also be at the workshop, have been instrumental in guiding agribusinesses in the formation and development of strategic partnerships over many years and will provide valuable insights about the development of premium brands and the importance of value chain partnering.
The afternoon session will consist of interactive sessions, where participants will have the opportunity to have in-depth discussions with the speakers.
Participants will also receive case studies and a relevant report on key business practices.
The workshops will take place at the Albany Surf Life Saving Club on Wednesday, March 18 and at the Quality Hotel Lighthouse, Bunbury, on Thursday, March 19 from 9.30am to 4pm.
The workshops are free but registration is essential by Monday, March 16 and can be done on the Eventbrite website (https://dpird-p4cv-obeorganicalbanyandbunbury.eventbrite.com).
For more information contact Jeisane Accioly on Jeisane.alis@gmail.com or on 0403 327 216.
