News

Carcase feedback system to roll-out over next 18 months

Terry Sim, June 1, 2015
MLA managing director Richard Norton

MLA managing director Richard Norton

The roll-out of Australia’s new electronic carcase feedback system – Livestock Data Link —  is expected to continue over the next 12-18 months.

MLA managing director Richard Norton last month announced JBS Australia was the first adopter of the LDL system for its 2300 Great Southern Farm Assured program lamb and beef suppliers.

MLA is working with a further eight supply chains who are piloting and evaluating LDL; providing support with adoption and uptake.

It is expected that the other supply chains piloting LDL will be ready to release it to their producers over the next 12-18 months. The companies involved in piloting LDL are all at various stages of implementing LDL within their supply chains and because of this, MLA said.

“While MLA can’t provide specific timeframes for when more companies/processors will come online with LDL, MLA is actively engaging with companies beyond the pilots to identify additional supply chains that may be interested in participating within LDL.”

Producers should contact buyers and processors

Producers are being advised to contact their preferred buying company or processor to ask when LDL would be available.

“MLA is working with individual supply chains to develop a roll-out strategy that meets the needs of the supply chain, including any resourcing considerations.

“The timing of the roll-out is driven by the needs of the company/supply chain.”

LDL has potential to save $100m a year

Mr Norton said MLA’s LDL program has the potential to save Australian red meat producers more than $100 million every year. The program links slaughter data from the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) and Meat Standards Australia (MSA) databases with analytical tools, benchmarking reports and the Solutions to Feedback library.

The new system has the potential to transform the way producers can use carcase feedback from their abattoir after being commercially adopted by Australia’s biggest meat processor JBS Australia.

“MLA research has identified that, each year, the Australian beef industry loses an estimated $51 million by producing cattle that do not meet market specifications, $64 million through carcase condemns and $12 million due to offal and meat condemnation,” Mr Norton said.

“LDL will allow producers to identify the sheep and cattle that didn’t meet market specifications more easily than ever before, how much that cost them in lower returns and benchmark the performance of their livestock against regional and national results.

“Not only does the LDL system highlight the reasons why an animal may have not met its specs – it provides a direct line of feedback to the producer, by linking to information on how to improve production methods to boost meat quality and livestock returns,” he said.

“We’re excited that JBS Australia has chosen to roll out the LDL system in their southern plants to its beef and lamb producer suppliers and we’ll continue to work with other supply chains to extend its application across the industry.”

For more information on the Livestock Data Link program please email [email protected]

Source: MLA

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