AUSTRALIAN Wool Innovation chairman Wal Merriman is supporting moves to wind up Meat and Livestock Australia, according to the Cattle Council of Australia.

Council president Greg Brown said it had been confirmed to him that Mr Merriman was a signatory to Australian Beef Association's resolution calling for the wind-up of MLA before December next year.

"Why would a person in his position want to support such a move?" Mr Brown said.

This week, Mr Merriman would neither confirm nor deny that he was a signatory to the resolution, which will be debated at MLA's annual meeting in November.

"I find it offensive that it is even being discussed. It is none of their business," Mr Merriman said.

Mr Brown said he understood there were other notable signatories to the ABA resolution.

"I am just hoping that MLA makes public the full list of signatories," Mr Brown said.

But MLA communications manager David Pietsch said the research and marketing body would reject such a request.

"While the list of signatories to the member's resolution is not confidential in a legal sense, we do not disclose a list or publicly comment on those members who have exercised their rights to put forward resolutions," Mr Pietsch said.

"We don't intend at this stage to change that position."

Mr Pietsch said it was up to ABA, which was the representative of the signatories, to decide whether or not to disclose the signatories.

ABA chairman Brad Bellinger said his association wouldn't be disclosing the signatories.

He said while 100 signatures were required for the resolution the association submitted a total of 212.

"There is much wider support for the resolution than what we expected," Mr Bellinger said.

He said the signatories were concerned that domestic beef consumption had declined 20 per cent since 1998, the lack of accountability by MLA on research expenditure, and the big costs and perceived benefits of the National Livestock Identification System.

 "We are not naive enough to think the resolution will achieve the required 75 per cent vote, but if we can get 40 per cent (Agriculture Minister) Joe Ludwig would have to sit up and take notice," Mr Bellinger said.

He said AWI was far more democratic than MLA.