Producer survey of Grass Seed Feedback Form – Sheep Solutions

Summary

As part of the National Grass Seeds Action Plan, the Leadership Group had agreed on a standard format for the grass seed report that is intended to be introduced as a national standard feedback report to producers when penalties are applied at processing due to seed contamination of the carcase.
It was important to trial the format of the report with lamb producers, finishers and their agents to ensure that the information received is meaningful, robust and useful.
A survey was conducted of producers and livestock agents in South Australia and New South Wales. Input was sought on how easy the report was to understand and whether it was easily able to be interpreted correctly.
Several issues with the original report were identified and recommendations made for improvement.
This improved version will be recommended for adoption by the National Grass Seed Leadership Group at their next meeting.
Additional information was gleaned through the survey including the level of awareness of the Program amongst those surveyed and the preferred resources for follow up to producers following receival of a positive seed kill report.
Key recommendations to arise from the survey were:

1. Changes to the layout of the standard report, incorporating explanations of how and when the penalty is applied.

2. Processors should be encouraged to provide a feedback report to producers when seed is present in carcases even if they are not at high enough levels to warrant penalties. In addition, the option of processors reporting for lines that are seed free should be explored.

3. The National Grass Seed Strategy should approach with some urgency the need to develop and implement a national training, accreditation and recording package for slaughter floor managers in relation to a standard language and reporting system for grass seeds.

4. Greater efforts are required nationally to increase industry-wide awareness of the program.

5. The National Grass Seed Strategy should continue to place emphasis on developing hard copy and web based resources as well as delivery of skills development and practice change workshops.

The national adoption of a standard language and reporting format for the assessment and reporting of seed contamination in lamb carcases has considerable potential benefits for the Australian lamb industry. These include:improved communication along the supply chain
greater transparency of transactions
improved consistency of reporting and penalising seed contamination both between and within works
improved understanding by producers of the issue, enabling them to put in place management changes
the potential for greater efficiencies in the lamb supply chain due to reduced losses from seed contamination.