Enhancing BeefSpecs systems for improving market compliance of pasturefed beef in southern Australia

The Enhancing BeefSpecs systems for improving market compliance of pasturefed beef in southern Australia project has enhanced the BeefSpecs tools to assist pasture fed beef producers improve compliance rates and meet market specifications.

Summary

​This project has enhanced the BeefSpecs tools to assist pasture fed beef producers improve compliance rates and ‘meet market specifications’ before slaughter. The new enhancements include a new input for muscle score and the prediction of denuded lean meat yield (%), MSA marbling score and MSA index of live animals. The development of the BeefSpecs drafting tool initiated during the former Beef CRC is available at On-Farm BeefSpecs Drafting.

A prototype pasture-fed BeefSpecs optimisation tool to optimise profitability of beef herds has been developed that can be customized, as required, to large pastoral companies. Growth trait EBVs were evaluated and confirmed that the inclusion of EBVs provides value in terms of increasing predictive accuracy. A BeefSpecs prototype economic calculator based off a generic grid has been developed and predicts total value of consignment. Workshop material has been developed and four pilot workshops are in the pipe line with a focus on the management changes that are required to assist producers meet market specifications.

When: 15 May 2013 to 12 January 2016

Researchers: Dr Malcolm McPhee, Dr Brad Walmsley, Dr Hutton Oddy, Dr Todd Andrews and Dr Boyd Gudex

Collaborator: NSW Department of Primary Industries

More information

To learn more about this research please read the final report summary and download the final report (B.SBP.0111) (PDF, 3.6 MB) from the Meat & Livestock Australia website.