Strategic review of technologies for information management through supply chains

Summary

Producer feedback, as a major tool for herd quality improvement, has been demonstrated over the last 20 years in many areas of the beef industry, and to a smaller extent in the lamb industry. In a global context Australia's beef industry feedback is unmatched by any other country. AUS-MEAT's current publication Guideline to Over-The-Hooks Trading of Livestock, published in 2006, outlines the requirement for feedback to the vendors from AUS-MEAT accredited abattoirs. This guideline also includes a reference to electronic feedback files as an option for feedback to producers. Reviews of technology for the purpose of supply chain information collection and management have been undertaken many times and by many organisations. Suitable technology is available to deliver the objectives of supply chain information efficiency. This has been demonstrated by meat industry organisations such as Silver Fern Farms (New Zealand), smaller scale projects such as Hillside Abattoir, WA, as well as by other industries (grocery, automotive, etc.). The benefit-cost has been demonstrated in MLA projects through the increased ability of participating industries to meet commercial requirements, and by disease reduction. There are a number of suitable on-farm software systems that can import slaughter data feedback from processors and align that with livestock production data. These provide the tools to utilise the processor feedback to achieve livestock improvement. The industry disease surveillance programs have also undergone reviews of technology options for data capture, as well as benefit-cost analysis. In addition, the emerging requirements for animal welfare as part of the producer feedback need to be considered in any review of producer feedback.