MLA manager of market information Ben Thomas

MEAT and Livestock Australia’s significant database of market statistics can be accessed through a new online customised search tool launched today.

But the Statistics Database tool is not intended to initially replace the MLA website’s regular livestock market reports and analysis, and specific beef and sheep saleyard reports are not yet available through statistics.mla.com.au

MLA manager of market information Ben Thomas said the online tool would allow producers, traders and exporters to access a long-term compilation of industry prices, production and consumption data, as well as price information and trade statistics from a number of key export markets.

“The new database provides users the opportunity to search for specific pricing information, product and trade statistics, that are most relevant to their enterprises,” Mr Thomas said.

“By accessing specific market reports, red meat businesses can make more informed decisions – be that in terms of breeding, buying or selling stock, or exporting product overseas.

“There is huge potential for a wide range of businesses to benefit from this data, resulting in a boost to the productivity of the wider Australian red meat industry.”

Data would be presented to users based only on their own unique search settings, with the raw markets data, provided by industry, remaining behind secure firewalls to protect privacy, he said.

Livestock sale report face-lift planned

Mr Thomas said making saleyard livestock sale reports available in an updated electronic form online, as distinct from the current PDFs, was a bigger project.

“This Statistics Database concentrates on the generic indicators that we have in place, as well as more of the demand side of things, such as exports, consumption and economic indicators.

“Further down the track, a quite significant project that we are in the infant stages of developing at the moment, is to give that side of things a real face-lift as well,” he said.

“Our ultimate aim is to make all of the data that is captured by the market reporters available electronically, so the producers can create their own indicators and also have access to all of the data that is stored behind those reports,” Mr Thomas said.

“But this (Statistics Database) is not meant to replace the individual livestock market officers’ reports.

“If all things got according to plan we will have more detail saleyard data available, hopefully in February.”

MLA said the Statistics Database is still in a trial phase, with users encouraged to provide feedback before the end of September via the online form that can be found on the database or [email protected]

This feedback will be factored into MLA’s ongoing development of the database with a view to providing users with even more localised information.

It was hoping the feedback would indicate what users wanted to get out of the database.

“We are able to track what reports people are looking at,” Mr Thomas said.

The MLA Statistics Database is available at statistics.mla.com.au

Source: Meat and Livestock Australia