INFLUENTIAL beef industry champion Jim Cudmore has been made a life member of the Australian Lot Feeders Association.
Awarded at ALFA’s recent BeefEx conference in Brisbane, Mr Cudmore is only the 10th life member of the 30 year old organsation.
Well known for his time as the general manager of Kerwee Lot Feeders at Jondaryan, began his feedlot career as a livestock supervisor at Killara Feedlot near Quirindi, NSW.
Mr Cudmore has also previously worked at Cannon Hill Saleyards in Brisbane, as a microbiologist for CSIRO, and in forensics for the Queensland Police Service.
Mr Cudmore joined the ALFA council in 2009.
ALFA immediate past president Tess Herbert said Mr Cudmore continued to influence not just industry initiatives, projects and strategy, but also importantly, its people.
He has a folksy good humour hiding a steely strategic mind.
- Tess Herbert, speaking on new ALFA life member Jim Cudmore
“He has a folksy good humour hiding a steely strategic mind,” Mrs Herbert said.
“One of his favourite sayings during council meetings has been when discussing an idea in its infancy that we ‘kick the can along the road’. So many cans have been kicked down so many roads.
“What is important to him is that everyone gets to have a kick, the can can be left in the gutter for a while. Once sufficiently kicked though these cans became important projects, many of which changed the face of the industry.
“He has a measured, confident and inclusive style, decisions were made, but only by bringing people along with him.”
Mrs Herbert said Mr Cudmore was all about outcomes for the industry and was recognised nationally as a significant contributor to the beef industry.
“He handles complex issues calmly and methodically, concentrating on both process and outcomes,” she said.
“He is resilient but dogged when needed.”
Mrs Herbert said an example of his leadership was in 2014 when the red meat industry was at a standstill over the sustainability debate.
“After experimenting with a variety of shaped tables – round tables, square tables etc, the Red Meat Advisory Council chose him to Lead Beef Sustainability Process,” Mrs Herbert said.
“Media at the time called him a well respected contributor with experience in extensive and intensive livestock production.
He led the review into how we should promote its sustainability credentials.
“This was the precursor for the enormously successful Beef Sustainability Framework, in my mind the most successful beef sustainability framework globally.”
