Stay informed with the latest red meat and livestock industry news, events, research and marketing.
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Industry is represented by: Australian Lot Feeders' Association Name of the levy: Lot-fed livestock transaction levy Who collects the levy: Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources – Levies |
Red Meat 2030 provides high-level strategic direction for research, development, adoption and marketing investments. The Australian Lot Feeders’ Association (ALFA) and MLA then work together to develop research, development and marketing strategies along with programs and projects funded through the grainfed levy.
Each year ALFA conducts an online survey of all grainfed levy payers to gather feedback on such programs and projects, taking into account research and development and marketing strategic plans, expenditure priorities and reserve levels. Survey responses are used to provide feedback to MLA.
Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) is a difficult condition impacting on feedlot profitability. To overcome diagnosis challenges, MLA is researching how a remote early disease identification (REDI) system could monitor cattle behaviour to identify BRD earlier.
MLA is researching how Asparagopsis supplementation in Australian cattle feedlots could reduce methane production, with a recent trial assessing its impacts on animal productivity, carcase characteristics, eating quality and chemical residues in beef.
MLA investment in digitally enabled solutions to increase feedlot productivity has resulted in the development of Bunk Scanner and BunkBot, which can be used to autonomously determine feed remaining in cattle feed bunks with increased precision and accuracy.
The National Feedlot Accreditation Scheme requires that feedlots have a heat stress management plan in place to cope with weather events that can lead to excessive heat loads. The Cattle Heat Load Toolbox alerts feedlot operators to impending adverse weather that could lead to excessive heat load in feedlot cattle.
Research into the benefits of shade and shelter on feedlot cattle in temperate climates is underway. This is following studies showing that shade and shelter increased cattle performance in Queensland commercial feedlots. Research into shelter solutions to provide protection during wet weather is also in progress.
