SA producer wins MLA Producer Innovation Award

South Australian producer Michele Lally has won the 2018 Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) Producer Innovation Award for her small capacity on-farm abattoir concept.

Ms Lally’s business, Australian Micro Abattoirs, are developing small capacity abattoirs, which meet Australian standards and regulatory approval in an adaptable modular concept.

Based in the Clare Valley in South Australia, Ms Lally received the award last night at the 2018 Rabobank Beef Industry Awards, held as part of Beef Australia 2018 in Rockhampton.

Ms Lally entered the red meat industry via the Savannah Lamb paddock-to-plate enterprise she developed with her husband Phil on their farm. Through this, she saw first-hand the challenges of using large-scale facilities to process small numbers of animals requiring full traceability.

After developing a pilot abattoir which was operating and delivering exceptional value, the concept received strong interest from other producers. Australian Micro Abattoirs was then born, and the business began to take shape through validation and testing the business minimum viable product.

MLA Managing Director Richard Norton said the award recognised producers accelerating the development and adoption of innovation and new technologies with the judging panel recognising the approach taken by Michele in developing the concept.

“The Award is an acknowledgement of the process undertaken by Michele and her company in developing their micro-abattoir concept – particularly their consultation and identification of the customer needs and the feasibility and viability of the concept.

“The Award aligns with MLA Donor Company’s Producer Innovation Fast-Track program, which accelerates capability and producer-led innovation by providing expertise, co-funding and support for initiatives that have the ability to improve farm and value chain performance.”

With designs for large and small stock, and additional options for value-adding and waste management, Michele spends time working with producers to realise their dreams of setting prices and value adding their livestock operations by offering new ways to market, increase farm gate profitability and to help them to start setting their own sales prices.

In developing their concept, Australian Micro Abattoirs undertook significant research which identified ongoing demand from three streams – the paddock-to-plate producer; corporate and large-scale farm or feedlots; and community groups or co-operatives.

In winning the Award, Ms Lally will now receive the assistance of a consultant to help refine her project concept or business model. She will also receive a trip to attend MLA Red Meat 2018 in Canberra in November.

The winner of the MLA Producer Innovation Award was chosen from three finalists, selected by a panel comprised of MLA representatives and a producer.