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| ENHANCING COMPETITIVENESS AND SUSTAINABILITY 2007–08 HIGHLIGHTS | ||||||||
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| Objective | Measure | Outcome highlights | Benefit | Future | ||||
| Increase cost efficiency
and productivity – on-farm Investment: $8.4m |
Measured improvement in productivity and/or product quality at individual farm or feedlot level attributable to new tools and technologies | Pen trials for 2-in-1 bovine respiratory disease (BRD) vaccine successfully completed | Reduce the costs associated with BRD by up to $40m a year in feedlots | Commercial partner for BRD vaccine to be identified | ||||
| Sheep genetic evaluation measures complete for gestation length and lambing ease | Reduction of lamb losses at birth | Increased data collection
to improve performance trait data | ||||||
| Increase cost efficiency
and productivity – off-farm Investment: $1.7m |
Automation technologies and tools developed and used by the processing sector to minimise cost of production and maintain sustainability | Two new automation systems developed and installed in processing plants | Reduced production costs and improved sustainability | Another two automated systems in plants and three plant installations of new technologies | ||||
| Improve industry and
market information Investment: $4.1m |
Increased availability and use of market information and risk management tools | Continued high use of online market information with more than 23,000 visits per month – 15% higher than target | Improved market transparency and livestock production and marketing decisions | Maintain relevance to industry particularly in store markets | ||||
| Downturn in cattle lot feeding has resulted in a drop in the use of MLA-SFE Cattle Futures Contract, but there has been increased availability and use of other risk management tools | Better farm and supply chain production and marketing decisions | Emphasis on expanding use of risk management tools generally, including forward contracts | ||||||
| Ensuring sustainability Investment: $6.9m | Measured improvement in grazing land condition | Ten-year Wambiana grazing trial completed delivering a suite of recommendations for triple bottom line benefits | Identified less resource risk, and a 70% greater cash surplus under a moderate stocking rate | Investigation to determine more productive treatments | 3,700 producers adopted improved production and land management practices from Grain & Graze | Quantified the impact of management practices on the environment to assist producer decisions and demonstrate environmental stewardship | Support producers to change practice for improved environmental outcomes | |
| Science for the future Investment: $6.8m | New products commercialised from MLA’s strategic science investment and forecast to have a significant impact on reducing costs, and/or productivity, and/or improved product quality | Verification of the effectiveness of tenderness DNA markers for cattle has been completed | As part of a breeding program producers can genetically select animals that produce tender meat | The effect of tenderness markers on Meat Standards Australia grading will be measured | ||||
| New low-cost meat electronics to reduce eating quality variation have been developed | Small- to medium-sized processors will be able to use new meat electronics for eating quality enhancements | Technology adopted by 75% of businesses | ||||||
| Animal welfare Investment: $3.2m | Increase in application of practices in response to changes in national animal welfare standards | Completed research supported the maintenance of 48-hour transport times for adult livestock | Facilitate national consistency in welfare legislation | Development of national standards for sheep and cattle management on-farm to commence next year | ||||
