HOW well does the red meat industry value product quality?

It’s a question researchers at the University of New England are seeking answers for, and they are hoping to engage with beef producers and other stakeholders along the supply chain to achieve it.

“Australia’s red meat industry supply chains have become very good at sharing product, and much work is now underway to make progress on sharing the information,” Professor of Agribusiness and Value Chains at UNE Derek Baker said.

“All stages of the red meat supply chains have benefited from developments such as breeding, animal welfare and export promotion, and in across-the-board improvements in the quality of product and process. The Meat Standards Australia program has played an important role in improving profitability of the supply chains,” Prof Baker said.

“There is now fresh consideration being given to quality, particularly MSA’s innovation around eating quality, can be better used to improve profitability across the industry.”

UNE is conducting pioneering research that seeks to place a value on product quality information, and to compare the values expressed at the different stages of the supply chain.  It is also investigating the incentives for sharing of information along the chain.

A core element of the research is a survey of stakeholders along the red meat supply chain.  The questionnaire takes about 20 minute to complete online.

The survey:

• involves around 40 short multiple choice questions which are answered anonymously online
• concerns the measurement, sharing and use of product quality, and the value placed on the information;
• addresses all actors in the red meat supply chain and all types of commercial entity – big and small, urban and rural;
• is a vital step in future planning for competitive supply chain design and management in the Australian red meat industry.

The data being collected for the research would not be used in a way that identifies any survey respondent, and there were no questions of a personal or financially sensitive nature, Prof Baker said.

• To learn more about the survey and/or take part, click this link, or email or redmeatinformation@une.edu.au
• Industry stakeholders are invited to contact the researchers with any questions about this survey and the research, by emailing derek.baker@une.edu.au or via UNE’s Centre for Agribusiness http://www.une.edu.au/about-une/academic-schools/unebs/centre-for-agribusiness