Company Managed Agreement (CMA) - Producer Innovation Fast Track

Summary

This Company Managed Agreement (CMA) supported operations of MLA Donor Company's Producer innovation Fast Track (PIFT) program. This program focused on building the innovation capability of red meat producers to enable accelerated adoption of new innovation.

The PIFT program was piloted between 2017-18 and provided producers with framework, resources, support and a co-funding mechanisms to develop their innovation capabilities and develop and commercialise their innovations.

Key findings

PIFT engaged over 470 producers in 80 projects, which consisted of:

• 60% 'On-farm Trailblazers'
• 24% 'Food Products, New brands and Value Chains innovators'
• 16% 'Entrepreneurs'. 

An independent benefit cost analysis (BCA) of the producer case studies deliver a BCA of 5.3:1 and identified change in producer innovation mindset and an increase in innovation capability for 94% of participants.

Benefits to industry

The PIFT program was a pilot program to enable producers to be actively involved in driving the innovation agenda. The program was designed to accelerate the development and adoption of innovation and capability that have the potential to significantly improve farm and value chain performance.

MLA action

Capturing the learnings from the pilot program the program offering has been consolidated and is now managed under the MLA Producer Demonstration Site program or externally through early stage new venture accelerator programs such as Farmers2Founders.