Data Collection for Quality Outcomes
The Australian beef industry is driving towards increased quality outcomes, particularly with respect to providence, production values and eating quality. These outcomes are not satisfied by traditional low cost, commodity production. Whilst quantity produced will always be tremendously relevant to achieving overall profitability, product must also meet increasingly demanding consumer needs.
More and more, data collection systems are capturing the quality outcomes along the supply chain. This data is disseminated back to beef producers, both in information packages and price signals. This has clear implications for beef producers. Maximising profitability will require producers to be active in measuring, managing and driving both quantity and quality outcomes in their production systems.
Technology exists today, to help beef producers measure and manage outcomes, but all too often it is seen as a detriment to the operational process, rather than a benefit. It is seen as a costly, labour intensive and complex process that only delivers incremental benefits.
However, current technology has superseded these problems. NLIS based identification allows for systems to “talk” to each other. With the wave of a (Bluetooth) wand, animal ID, weights, joining, treatments, mobs, movements, pregnancy testing and drafting has all been automated, requiring minimal manual input from producers and allowing for the most accurate data collection possible. Best of all, these systems are simple to use, even with limited technical know-how.
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