Mr Smith takes over the role from Andrew Ogilvie, who has completed his maximum three-year term.

“First and foremost, I would like to personally thank and commend Andrew for the role that he played as Cattle Council president,’’ Mr Smith said.

‘‘The contribution that Andrew has made to the beef industry was not without significant time away from his own family and business.

“Andrew was president of the Cattle Council during a period of transition, and throughout his tenure he made a number of difficult decisions with the best interests of the industry at the forefront of his mind.”

Mr Smith operates a breeding, fattening and trading beef operation with his family at Rolleston in central Queensland, and is also the immediate past-chair of the AgForce cattle board.

He has been a driving force behind the development of the Pasturefed Cattle Assurance System and is determined to find opportunities for producers to gain premiums and increase transparency.

“I am extremely proud to be elected into this position,” Mr Smith said.

“The beef industry is currently confronting significant challenges, including discussion around industry restructure, consumer interest in sustainability and animal welfare and the continued challenge of farm gate prices.

“If we are going to provide the best possible representation for Australian beef producers, the industry representational structure must be solid.

“The areas that I see as being integral to my role at Cattle Council are ensuring that the industry structure is solid and supporting the beef language review,” Mr Smith said.

Tony Hegarty, of Cassilis, NSW, was elected vice-president and Paul Saward, of Redpa, Tasmania, was elected as chairman of the finance and audit committee.