IF producers have direct input into what research, development and adoption (RDA) priorities their levies are invested in, they’re more likely to adopt them and ultimately boost their productivity and profitability.
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Producers have directly influenced the selection of new on-farm research worth $9.4 million.
- Meat and Livestock Australia’s Michael Crowley
That’s Meat and Livestock Australia’s new paradigm as it seeks to increase on-farm adoption of research among producers through a range of key projects it has rolled out in the past year to build the prosperity of the red meat and livestock industry.
MLA’s general manager producer consultation and adoption, Michael Crowley, said the organisation’s approach is about ensuring RDA not only directly targeted producers and their business needs, but that they would support and implement innovations.
“The red meat industry is well aware that on-farm adoption of research and development is too slow,” he said.
“One way MLA is working to address this going into 2017 is through the continued roll out of its regional consultation process.
“The process, which has involved holding producer consultation forums throughout the country, is a key driver in ensuring grassroots producers can have their say in identifying priority areas for RDA.
“The whole process aligns strongly with the Meat Industry Strategic Plan 2020 which states that we need to increase productivity gains in the red meat sector.”
As a result of MLA’s regional consultation process, producers have directly influenced the selection of new on-farm RDA projects for the grassfed beef and sheepmeat sectors in 2016/17, worth $9.4 million of levy-payer funds.
A total of 18 new on-farm RDA projects have been endorsed to receive MLA levies, starting this year, and are the first to be generated from direct producer input. The projects address a range of issues within industry priority areas including animal health and welfare, feedbase, farm systems, and capacity building.
Some of the projects include investigating area-wide control of buffalo flies and prevention of southward spread using a control agent known as Wolbachia; developing an investment plan for future RDA that better integrates cropping and livestock into mixed farming enterprises and investigating a new option for monitoring drench resistance and movement of Barber’s Pole Worm.
The priorities were identified by producers through regional consultation forums, 18 regional committees as well as the North Australia Beef Research Council (NABRC), the Southern Australia Meat Research Council (SAMRC), and the Western Australia Livestock Research Council (WALRC).
The new RDA priorities identified by producers for 2017/18 have also just been announced by MLA. They are whole farm breeder productivity systems, future feedbase scenarios and profitable and efficient ruminant nutrition.
Mr Crowley said critical to on-farm adoption of new research and development was the way information was extended to producers.
“Among the initiatives MLA has launched this year is the Profitable Grazing Systems pilot program, as part of a shift in the way it delivers extension and adoption,” Mr Crowley said.
“The program has focused on key business profit drivers and lifting the productivity of red meat producers, using specialist coaches to provide longer-term support and guidance.”
Mr Crowley said the program built on MLA’s best practice packages of information, tools and events, with a renewed focus on really supporting producers to implement changes in their on-farm management.
“The pilot finishes this month and it is anticipated the MLA Board will give approval for a full program roll-out to occur in 2017,” Mr Crowley said.
Meanwhile, the latest research published by MLA shows three-dimensional printing technology for red meat products could present the next big advancement in value adding.
A recent MLA research project reviewed market acceptance and value proposition for 3D printed food with meat as an ingredient, particularly investigating how the technology could open new market opportunities and further grow the demand and uses for red meat.
Three-dimensional printed (3DP) food is the technology where food is created (printed) layer by layer in a process called additive manufacturing. Various ingredients can be mixed, deposited and cooked, allowing quick experimentation with food combinations.
For red meat, this represents an exciting opportunity to add value to current secondary cuts, trim and by products by developing a “meat ink”.
RDA is also being funded by commercial investment, facilitated by MLA Donor Company (MDC).
MDC is a fully-owned subsidiary of MLA which works to attract voluntary investments in research and development innovations across the red meat value chain and fast-tracks these commercial innovations.
As at 30 June this year, the total value of red meat and livestock projects in progress within MDC was $130 million, including animal health, eating quality and product integrity, environmental sustainability, automation, new products and packaging concepts, innovation capability, and both off-farm and on-farm productivity.
Among the on-farm projects the MDC has invested in is the development of a DNA-based diagnostic test for Johne’s disease.
This new test cuts waiting time from three months with the previous culture-based test to just one week.
This decreases the risk of further disease spread.
