Beef producers in Australia are reaping the benefits of the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) program, with record estimated additional farmgate returns. Established by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) in 1998, the MSA program has seen a significant increase in farmgate returns, reaching $326 million in the latest reporting period.
The success of the MSA program can be attributed to increased producer involvement and improvement, processors and brand owners extracting more value from the program, and continued investment in research and development. These factors have led to more than 3.88 million cattle being presented for MSA grading through 42 Australian MSA-licensed beef processors, the highest number of cattle ever consigned. This represents over 50% of all cattle slaughtered in Australia, with 3.64 million cattle meeting the minimum MSA requirements.
MSA Beef Highlights
In the latest report for 2023–24, several key highlights were identified in the MSA beef sector:
- An increase of 2,603 producers to a total of 13,923 beef producers consigning cattle for MSA grading.
- Queensland processed the highest number of MSA-graded cattle at 1.8 million head, accounting for 45% of total MSA-graded cattle.
- Both New South Wales and Victoria saw processing increases of over 100,000 head.
- Three new beef processor sites were licensed, bringing the total of MSA-licensed processing facilities to 42.
- Grainfed cattle represented 53% of MSA-graded cattle, with non-grainfed cattle increasing by six percentage points to represent the remaining 47%.
Towards Commercialisation: MSA Sheepmeat Cuts-Based Model
The MSA sheepmeat cuts-based model also showed promising progress in 2023–24. Over 2.37 million lambs followed the MSA pathways through 14 MSA-licensed processing facilities across New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, and Western Australia. The model is moving closer to commercialisation, with a focus on improving eating quality variation in commercial supply chains and exploring branding opportunities.
Several processors have been able to trial higher eating quality lamb in domestic and international markets to gauge consumer sentiment and willingness to pay for eating quality consistency. This presents an opportunity for branding Australian sheepmeat based on eating quality and grading standards.
The Impact of myFeedback
In 2023, MLA launched myFeedback, an online platform designed to help producers make data-driven decisions on-farm. The platform focuses on improving carcase value attributes such as eating quality, lean meat yield, and livestock health in alignment with market requirements. By providing a centralized location for data collection, myFeedback enables producers to benchmark their performance accurately.
The platform has been well-received in the industry, offering access to MSA grading and carcase data in one place. Additionally, myFeedback now includes animal disease and defect information from participating processors, allowing producers to evaluate all factors that drive performance and carcase value, ultimately identifying opportunities for improvement.
In conclusion, the success of the MSA program in Australia highlights the importance of quality standards and continuous improvement in the red meat industry. With record farmgate returns and ongoing advancements in both beef and sheep sectors, Australian producers are well-positioned to meet consumer demands for high-quality, consistent products. Through initiatives like myFeedback and the MSA program, producers can enhance their operations, drive profitability, and contribute to a thriving industry.
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