THE red meat industry’s service delivery company, Meat & Livestock Australia, will have a prominent presence across the Beef 2021 event in Rockhampton in May, focussing on the collective theme of ‘redefining resilience.’

MLA is a principal partner of Beef Australia 2021, being held in Rockhampton from May 2-8 spearheaded by the MLA trade site.

There were at least three objective carcase measurement cameras and devices on display at MLA’s site at Beef 2018, including the E+V camera; a new MEQ probe based on nano-scale biophotonics; and this Frontmatic hyper-spectral camera being displayed by MSA comms officer Emma Boughen on the MLA stand.

The theme for the MLA trade site was chosen because resilience is a quality associated with Australian red meat producers who, for generations, have overcome hardships such as drought, fire, flood and troughs in trade.

What does it mean to red meat producers? In 2021 and beyond, resilience must evolve to fit a new set of challenges, MLA says.

“Looking ahead, resilience will allow the red meat and livestock industry to be agile and ambitious, to see adversity as opportunity, and to be competitive on the global stage. It will allow the industry to be innovative and lead the world in sustainability and delivering high value, high quality products to customers, consumers and the community.”

In line with this philosophy, MLA’s trade site will showcase key MLA initiatives that are supporting a prosperous Australian beef industry as it redefines resilience.

MLA will host a program of activities at Beef Australia 2021, all aimed to educate, celebrate and immerse attendees into the beef value chain.

Visitors can:

• Visit the MLA trade site, where they will see a display of MLA initiatives that support the prosperity of the industry. They can talk directly with the MLA team and learn more about the tools, services and programs available to producers.
• Visit the Ken Coombes Ag Tech Yards, where MLA will showcase digital agriculture projects that focus on data-driven technologies. Look out for the autonomous vehicle, adapted from the military, that may help producers monitor fences and replace tasks such as feed delivery.
• Producers attending an MLA seminar can hear how MLA’s research, producer programs and industry collaborations are supporting a resilient beef industry. Topics include pasture dieback, genetics and the Northern Breeding Business (NB2) program.

Dig deeper into data-driven technologies

MLA’s general manager for Research, Development and Adoption, Michael Crowley, provided some insights into what producers can expect at MLA’s display in the Ken Coombes Ag Tech Yards at Beef 2021.

MLA’s general manager for producer consultation & adoption, Michael Crowley

“MLA will showcase investments from across the beef supply chain that focus on innovation and drive improved productivity to support the resilience of businesses into the future,” he said.

“Resilience in the future means sustainable production, it’s a better connection with the customer and it’s looking at how we tackle the big, complex issues for our industry.”

“Producers can learn how to use data such as eating quality, pasture management and genetic selection to connect the production system with the rest of the supply chain to improve efficiency and optimise production,” he said.

“When producers are making decisions, it’s important to use multiple data points to help inform those decisions.

“Data allows more precision in extensive production systems and enables producers to identify where they can create value.”