A Liberal National Party senator has slammed the body representing Australian cattle producers for being unrepresentative of farmers after an inquiry recommended it be dissolved.
Senator Barry O'Sullivan, who was deputy chair of the Senate's rural affairs committee, said the Cattle Council of Australia should be shut down and replaced with a transparent producer-owned body.
Senator O'Sullivan told parliament the council was failing Australia's 60,000 cattle producers.
"The cattle council represent literally nobody," Senator O'Sullivan said on Wednesday.
"I know I'm going to be a few Christmas cards short this year but here's my message to the cattle council: We will not rest. We will persist until you restructure."
The committee also recommended the Australian Livestock and Property Agents Association (ALPA) develop standards of practice for cattle sales.
But ALPA's chief executive Andy Madigan said further regulation of saleyards was not necessary.
Senator O'Sullivan hit back at Mr Madigan's claims, saying small producers had been disadvantaged by corrupt and collusive behaviour.
"For you to deny that there is collusion and difficulty in the saleyards of this nations is a very rich statement," Senator O'Sullivan said.
Cattle Council president Howard Smith said the report defied logic.
"It's a nonsense," Mr Smith told ABC radio.
"If they have evidence to support there was collusion, then throw the book at them, but until they have that evidence I think it's a little mischievous for them to be insinuating about ... the Cattle Council."
The unanimous report also recommended:
*A study into pre and post-sale weighing to provide the southern cattle industry with evidence to consider selling methods.
*A review of AUS-MEAT to determine if it should have oversight of the new carcase measurement technology.
*A joint industry and government meat and livestock taskforce be established to review the Red Meat Memorandum of Understanding.
