D.IIS.2069 - OTH Data Provision - Agora

Summary

MLA produces an OTH report to provide pricing transperency regarding prices processors pay for livestock.

In 2021-2022 MLA payed Agora Livestock for this information as it is not freely accessible.

Objectives

The over-the-hooks (OTH) market information project will see OTH data
supplied directly to the market information team from our external partner LIVEstock Pricing (Now Agora Livestock). The data will be tailored to MLA’s weekly market reports, inclusive of all weight categories and grouped by state and species. This will expand the pool of contributors to encompass a larger portion of the processing capacity across Australia – a consideration made by the ACCC Cattle and Beef Market Study recommendation five “additional market reporting is needed”. MLA’s NLRS is an essential service provided to levy payers, allowing them to make informed and timely management decisions. By expanding the data collection pool, a more representative average OTH quote per state can be provided, with additional time and labor costs potentially mitigated by purchasing OTH information from LIVEstock Pricing. Whilst information supply will improve data accuracy and increase price transparency, it also provides an opportunity to offer data to levy payers in more visually interpretive ways, to add greater value to the service. Utilising MicroStrategy, OTH reports can be built and tailored for the public while also allowing internal analysts to access a greater depth of information such as processor insights, drivers of market prices, pricing behaviors and red meat supply trends and cycles.