News Release:
Rural woman of the Year has vision for beef
| Date 1/3/04 No 040/04 Rebecca Arnott, NSW Rural Woman of the Year, is working towards the day when buying beef will be like buying wine: according to individual taste, budget, and occasion. Rebecca, a Rural Science graduate of the University of New England, took up the position of National Brand Manager for the Australian Agricultural Company (AACo) in February this year. Part of her job will be to involve beef retailers and consumers in making her vision a reality. (The AACo's "1824" brand for high-quality beef has already been adopted by many restaurants and hotels.) Between graduating in 1993 and starting with AACo she worked and studied in England and North America, worked in Africa for the Cattle Producers' Association of Zimbabwe and in Australia for NSW Agriculture, and was for two years the Chief Executive Officer of the beef marketing group Hunter Natural Cooperative. She has established Women's Farm Walk and Discussion groups in the Cooma, Wagga Wagga and Hunter regions to provide networking and educational opportunities for women working in agriculture. The NSW Minister for Agriculture, Ian Macdonald, presented Rebecca with the Rural Woman of the Year award during a dinner for more than 100 guests at the Governor Macquarie Tower in Sydney last month [Wednesday 18 February]. "Ms Arnott's determination to find new and more effective ways of promoting beef products has earned her much respect throughout the industry," Mr Macdonald said. The annual award includes a $15,000 bursary, with which Rebecca will visit beef industries in Europe and America to help her develop new ways of marketing Australian beef.
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While an undergraduate at UNE, Rebecca served as co-president of both the Rural Science Undergraduates' Society and the Rural Science Representative Committee. She was also active on many of the Rural Science social committees, and remembers her university years with affection. "The course itself was both challenging and rewarding," she said, "and I developed a great network of friends who I still keep in touch with. I'm sure I'll meet even more of them, both in Australia and overseas, in the course of my new job." She went on to gain a Master's degree from the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester, England, with a thesis on the management of that spectacular Canadian event, the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede. After an internship at Ohio State University (during which she worked on a feedlot in Colorado) she worked for two years in Zimbabwe as a beef cattle extension officer before returning to Australia to do similar work for NSW Agriculture. ("The social and working environments couldn't have been more different, however," she said.) Her focus moved to beef marketing when she became Chief Executive Officer of Hunter Natural Cooperative, based in Scone, NSW. "I was honoured and delighted to receive the award," Rebecca said. "It means recognition for the aspirations of many of our primary producers who see value-adding and related marketing processes as an important part of the future of agriculture." Media contact: Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE, Armidale (02)
6773 3049. |
