Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) program changes on the way

Since 2004 the Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) program has been crucial in ensuring Australia’s $74.5 billion red meat industry continues to thrive. LPA was created to provide the red meat industry with consistent on-farm standards and practices to manage potential food safety risks and assure global customers about the integrity of Australian red meat.

Due to LPA's critical role for market access, it is essential that it is updated to keep pace with global demands. To achieve this, several changes will be made to the LPA rules effective 1 September, 2024.

These changes are the result of strong collaboration between ISC and the red meat industry, which has endorsed the changes. LPA is managed by Integrity Systems Company (ISC), a subsidiary of Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA).

Introduction of Self-Assessment tool for accreditation and reaccreditation

From 1 September 2024 the existing questionnaire for accreditation and reaccreditation will be replaced with a new Self-Assessment tool. Taking around 20 minutes to complete, this new tool improves on the existing questionnaire and will provide a more enriching educational experience and help livestock producers increase their awareness and understanding of the LPA requirements.

Upon completion, producers can download a personalised Recommendations Report which will include suggestions to help inform on-farm changes to increase productivity and compliance with LPA requirements.

Accreditation renewal time change

The renewal period for LPA accreditation from 1 September 2024 will be two years, instead of the existing three years. This change has been made to help producers stay up to date with LPA requirements, ensure the information remains top of mind and help support the robustness of the program. The cost of accreditation and reaccreditation is $90 plus GST for the two-year accreditation period. This fee helps support the operational costs of running LPA and associated audits.

Accreditation will be rolled into this new two-year cycle as it falls due over the next three years.

Other ways the updated LPA Rules will improve the program:

• Voluntary modules will be added to the program. This includes the introduction of the Harvested Rangeland Goats module from 1 October 2024.
• Additional livestock declarations will be able to be made on the electronic National Vendor Declaration (eNVD).
• Opportunities to share audit outcomes from other compliance programs to reduce audit duplication.
• Updating of data sharing, reporting and notification requirements to ensure fairness and compliance with legislation.
• Clarified roles, responsibilities and definitions.
• Clarified process for audits, nonconformities and status changes.
• New processes for handling complaints and issues of concern.

Integrity Systems Company CEO Jo Quigley said the changes are designed to ensure Australia’s red meat industry continues to be a dominant player in the global supply of red meat.

“The Livestock Production Assurance program is a key component of Australia’s red meat integrity system. Accreditation ensures Australian producers can maintain access to markets globally and locally and allows them to attract the best price possible for their quality red meat,” Ms Quigley said.

“Having the ability to add voluntary modules to the program such as for Harvested Rangeland Goats brings a new level of flexibility to the program. In the future more voluntary modules will be added, further setting Australia up to be able to continue to compete globally.

“The delivery of the new Self-Assessment tool marks a significant step forward in responding to consumer sentiment around animal welfare and biosecurity concerns. This new tool offers greater opportunities for red meat producers to understand the LPA requirements and how they relate to specific farm practices. We believe this tool and the personalised Recommendations Report that can be downloaded upon completion will greatly strengthen the integrity credentials of our industry.”

For more information about LPA, please visit Livestock Production Assurance (LPA)