New Zealand presently dominates the high value European Union lamb quota which takes close to half of their lamb exports with 227,600 tonnes exported annually compared to just 18,650t from Australia.

A prime lamb producer for south west Victoria, Ms Joseph was yesterday elected to the role at the SCA annual general meeting in Orange, NSW, replacing Chris Groves, of Cowra, NSW, who had completed his two year stint in the job.

Among Ms Josph's other aims for the next 12 months are finding effective policies for animal welfare standards and guidelines and developing a strategic plan for the sheepmeat industries.

"Our current work on market access includes collaboration with US and New Zealand as the Tri-Lamb Group to increase sheepmeat consumption in the US, ensuring Meat and Livestock Australia deliver cost-effective support to the sheepmeat industry, and developing relationships between Australian producers and producers from South Africa and countries belonging to the European Union," she said.

Scott Anderson, a producer from Flinders Island off the coast of Tasmania, was elected as Sheepmeat Council's vice president.

Rodney Watt, from Greenthorpe, NSW, was elected as the honorary treasurer.