YEEDA Pastoral Company Pty Ltd has announced changes to its leadership team ahead of the commencement of this year's processing season, which has been pushed back to late April to accommodate delayed mustering activities by pastoralists following heavy rains across the Kimberley.
Yeeda's chief operating officer David Hanson has taken on the role of interim chief executive officer following the resignation of Anthony Wilkes for personal reasons.
Laurence Macri continues to manage Yeeda's wholly-owned subsidiary Kimberley Meat Company (KMC), while Tim Munroe has been promoted to group commercial finance manager.
Yeeda has also appointed Spektrum Agribusiness founder Dr Steve Petty as an adviser and consultant to assist the company with herd and rangelands management.
Dr Petty has 32 years' experience in the northern pastoral and agricultural industries focused on efficient and profitable business management, business development as well as the implementation of innovative technology in rural production systems.
In addition, James Campbell has been appointed to Yeeda's Board of Directors, effective from April 1.
Mr Campbell has 20 years of corporate and commercial agribusiness experience with KPMG, ANZ and Sanger Australia, held board roles with the Red Meat Advisory Council and Australian Meat Processing Council and acted as an independent consultant to the Audit and Risk Committee of Australian Dairy Farmers.
He is currently executive chairman of Amaretto Almonds, an entity within the ADM Capital-managed Cibus private equity fund.
Yeeda co-founder and chairman Mervyn Key said the company was "indebted to Anthony for the stability and good governance that he brought to and instilled in the Company after he took over from the previous management a year ago".
"Anthony has made a substantial contribution towards putting Yeeda back on the right track and we wish him well for the future," Mr Key said.
"We have a strong management team that is running Yeeda and the additions of Steve Petty and James Campbell will further bolster our agribusiness expertise and help position us very well for the future."
Mr Wilkes said he "loved being involved with this industry and Yeeda, which with its well-situated and large cattle stations and meat processing facility provides the ultimate solution to the future of the Kimberley region as a value-adding manufacturer of food".
"I have full confidence in the current management of Yeeda to keep building the business into a local manufacturing powerhouse," Mr Wilkes said.
"Due to the needs of my young family, I am unable to devote the time needed to spend in the Kimberley to fully justify my role.
"Accordingly, I regrettably have decided it is in both Yeeda's and my family's best interest that I step down now prior to the new season commencing in April."
The exceptionally good wet season in the Kimberley has prompted the pastoral industry to delay mustering activities and as a result KMC will re-open for processing at the end of April, by which time Yeeda will have also completed additional investment in new gensets and major refrigeration installations and the further extension of Tony's holding yards, located adjacent to KMC.
In 2020, KMC processed about 40,000 head of cattle - a strong performance given the industry wide cattle shortages - and is planning to process a similar number this year until its scheduled annual maintenance shutdown in mid-December.
The impact on meat processors this year because of record-high cattle prices and continued limited supply is, to some extent, offset by Yeda having its own herd of more than 72,000 Brahman and Droughtmaster cattle in the Kimberley.
Yeeda has committed further capital investment in its high-quality assets and strategic position in the Kimberley and has tasked Dr Petty with working with the company to further improve the quality of Yeeda's herd; and execute a strategy to enhance the condition and carrying capacity of Yeeda's pastoral rangelands of more than one million hectares.
Yeeda is also executing strategies around sustainability and reducing its carbon footprint.
This includes working with Dr Petty on assessing and implementing carbon sequestration opportunities.
In addition, Yeeda has begun exploring new green hydrogen technology initiatives that can take advantage of the company's location at the mouth of the Fitzroy River, which - when in flood - is one of the largest rivers in the world.
Yeeda Pastoral Company owns and operates the Kimberley Meat Company processing plant halfway between Broome and Derby in Western Australia's Kimberley region.
The processing plant can handle up to 60,000 head per year and is the only abattoir in WA's North.
Seasonal rains dependent, the plant is usually operational between the end of February and early December before the annual shutdown during the Kimberley's wet season.
In 2019, KMC was named Regional Exporter of the Year at the prestigious WA Industry and Export Awards, sponsored by the WA Government and the Export Council of Australia.
In addition to KMC, Yeeda has several livestock properties, including Yeeda Station, covering more than one million hectares in the Kimberley.
