Showcasing red meat’s paddock to plate story at the Ekka

The gates opened to the Royal Queensland Show – better known as the Ekka – on 10 August, for nine days of one of Queensland’s biggest annual events.

The iconic Australian agriculture show drew more than 340,000 people, despite wet weather over many days of the event.   

Alongside other exhibitions in the Ag Education Pavilion telling the story of agriculture in all its forms, MLA was on the ground to take attendees young and old through the paddock to plate journey.

More than 4,500 attendees visited the MLA’s exhibition to watch the paddock to plate experience.

Here’s what was on offer.

A VR journey

While the Ekka draws crowds from across the state and sometimes further afield, for MLA it is an opportunity to teach a largely metro audience about red meat production.

Among the show bag pavilion and carnival games, Australian Good Meat was one of many stalls present to provide education and insights on the agriculture industry.

Australian Good Meat is an online platform created by MLA to provide important information about red meat production, focusing on animal welfare, the environment, and health and nutrition.

School groups, children and adults who attended the Australian Good Meat stand were equipped with a pair of virtual reality (VR) headsets where they could watch the Australian Beef and Lamb Paddock to Plate Experience.

The VR video provided an immersive and interactive tour through their choice of the lamb or beef supply chain.

Throughout the nine-day event, 2,270 surveys were collected to understand perceptions of the experience after attendees watched the paddock to plate journey.

Of those surveyed, 85% said they had a greater understanding of the Australian red meat industry after viewing the VR paddock to plate experience.

Each day MLA red meat ambassadors also attended, who engaged in conversations with the show goers about the production of Australian red meat and the industry in general.  

Greatest of all time

The goats were judged at the Ekka to determine a winner

Showgoers also saw the very best from the G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time) Competition, where Queensland school students submitted their designs on a goat-shaped template.

Of the competition entrants, 19 finalists were selected to receive a life-size fibreglass model to bring their concept to life. The designs were about what makes their local region ‘the greatest of all time’.

While judges decided the winning goat – and accompanying explanation of their artistic direction – Ekka attendees were able to vote on the People’s Choice Award.

The G.O.A.T competition was part of a broader education program provided in schools, including free Australian Good Meat Education school resources.

MLA Schools and Education Manager Susan Howe said the goat-focused competition grew awareness of a small but growing red meat sector.

“Royal Shows like the Ekka are an effective platform for the red meat industry via the Australian Good Meat program to reach a large audience who are interested in learning more about these topics.”