Have you got carcase performance feedback waiting?

Many producers have carcase performance data available for animals they have bred or consigned, accessible through Livestock Data Link (LDL).

LDL provides a range of data on animal disease and carcase compliance for livestock sent to processors participating in the program, including information on:

• carcase compliance with processors’ custom grids for individual market requirements
• animal disease and defect information
• beef carcases bred but not directly consigned by a producer
• Meat Standards Australia (MSA) performance, where available.

This data can explain why consignments did or did not comply with market specifications, to help producers make more informed on-farm decisions to improve carcase performance and overall productivity.

Producers can also access the 'Solutions to Feedback' library through the LDL system, to investigate the on-farm management practices that could be implemented to improve carcase performance in the future.

There are also other MLA programs available which can help to improve performance, such as Profitable Grazing Systems.

South Australian producer Jane Kellock is one producer who has been using LDL feedback to maximise carcase performance and boost profits on-farm.

The Kellock family run a mixed farming operation producing sheep, cattle and a range of crops on the 1,820-hectare property ‘Farrell Flat’ in South Australia.

Consignments of lambs sent from Farrell Flat consistently achieve 98% Meat Standards Australia (MSA) compliance, and Jane credits the LDL system for providing the information needed to optimise consignment performance.

"For me, the LDL information and feedback is fantastic. It shows that we are meeting our targets as far as our meat and fat condition score," Jane said.

"If we're outside those guidelines it costs us money and LDL tells us exactly what it's costing us if we're not meeting those targets."

Farrell Flat has been supplying lamb to JBS Bordertown for the past three years and according to JBS Southern’s Farm Assurance Supply Chain Manager, Mark Inglis, the ability of the processing plant to provide feedback to producers through LDL has proved invaluable for improving consignments.

"Processors in their own right are collectors of huge amounts of data," Mark said.

"So what LDL allowed us to do from our perspective was to get that data back to producers in a form that they can actually understand and work with."

Red meat supply chains currently providing feedback to producers through LDL include:

• Wingham Beef Exports
• Oakey Beef Exports
• JBS Southern
• The Casino Food Co-op (formerly NCMC).

LDL also provides feedback on 19 of the animal health conditions that the National Sheep Health Monitoring Project (NSHMP) inspects carcases and offal for. Information on the conditions inspected and processors participating in this program is available on the NSHMP webpage. The Enhanced Abattoir Surveillance Program also provides disease and condition data to LDL for consignments to TFI Lobethal. More information on this program can be found on this factsheet.

To start using and accessing data from LDL, go to ldl.mla.com.au to register. Registration requires your NLIS user ID and password. Once registered, you will be able to log on to the LDL system, and you will be taken directly to the LDL dashboard where you can view information on your recent consignments.

Additionally, if you would like to provide feedback on the LDL system, you can become part of our Producer Testing Panel. ISC is conducting a complete refresh of the LDL system this year and we are seeking your input on how we can make the system meet your needs.