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Current tenders
MLA is seeking applications from individuals, organisations or project teams with the expertise required to undertake one or more of the following projects:
- Sheep Reproduction Strategic Partnership
- Nomination of methane-inhibiting feed additives for evaluation
- Coordinator FutureBeef Website Review
- Shelf life Models for Beef and Lamb
- Extending the practical shelf life of vacuum-packed, chilled sheep meats
- 2021/22 Investment Call now open
- A review of global adoption practices and outcomes, and recommendations for implementation within the Australian Red Meat Industry
- Investigating Flock Rebuild Strategies
Sheep Reproduction Strategic Partnership
Improving sheep reproductive performance, reducing ewe and lamb mortality and improving animal welfare is a key priority for Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), Australian sheep and wool producers and other industry partners. Following completion of the Sheep Reproduction RD&E Investment Plan 2012-2017 (SRRIP) and a recent stock-take of ongoing RD&E projects, MLA along with stakeholder partners is now seeking to develop new strategies and initiatives to improve lamb survivability outcomes. To do so and recognising the need for a coordinated approach to improving reproductive performance, MLA is seeking to develop a new Sheep Reproduction Strategic Partnership, in collaboration with stakeholder partners.
This terms of reference (TOR) is an inaugural call for collaboration against a series of industry priorities that will result in a series of foundational initiatives to support the partnership.
Applicants are encouraged to engage the relevant MLA Managers prior to the submission of an application.
Applications must be lodged electronically as Word document to projectcall@mla.com.au by Thursday, 1 October 2020.
For more information please contact:
Joe Gebbels
Project Manager - Sheep Research & Development
Research, Development & Adoption
Phone: 0407 002 928
Email: jgebbels@mla.com.au
Nomination of methane-inhibiting feed additives for evaluation
Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), in agreement with the University of Queensland, intend to screen feed additives for methane mitigation using in vitro methodologies as part of foundational work in the CN30 initative. In support of this project, MLA is seeking nominations from industry partners to supply select feed additives with potential antimethanogenic properties suitable for use in the redmeat value chain.
MTA - Material Transfer Agreement
Nominations must be lodged electronically as Word document to kcampbell@mla.com.au along with other requirements of this ToR.
For more information, please contact:
Margaret Jewell
CN30 Manager
Phone: 0437 476 312
Email: mjewell@mla.com.au
Coordinator FutureBeef Website Review
The FutureBeef website provides a coordinated approach to the delivery of online information and industry engagement and allows the northern beef industry access to a 24/7 one-stop shop for beef information. It is a collaborative extension program in northern Australia involving the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Northern Territory Department of Primary Industry and Resources, Western Australia Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and Meat and Livestock Australia. The FutureBeef website contains over 1000 pages of content with new pages added on a regular basis.
MLA are seeking proposals from suitable qualified individuals/project teams to act as the Coordinator of the FutureBeef Website Review. The Coordinator will be responsible for reviewing priority pages and allocating the page to topic/subtopic heading(s) and if required, engaging and sub-contracting subject matter experts to undertake reviews.
Applications must be received by 5pm Friday, 9 October 2020.
For more information, please contact:
Alana Boulton
Project Manager Northern Beef Adoption Project Manager
Meat & Livestock Australia
Phone: 04419 661 262
Email: aboulton@mla.com.au
Shelf life Models for Beef and Lamb
The shelf life of beef and lamb is an important factor in being able to provide consumers with a quality product, especially in international markets. A model to predict the organoleptic shelf life of primary packaged (at the processing establishment) chilled, vacuum-packed, beef and lamb has been developed and validated.
The project will develop and validate further models for beef and lamb in modified atmosphere packed (MAP), Vacuum Skin Pack (VSP), and other common forms of packaging (e.g. thermoform, overwrap etc), all as practised by the industry. Models will need to be considered for both primary packaging (for example, at an abattoir or boning room within a few days of slaughter) and well as secondary packaging (consumer-ready packaging following a period of vacuum packing usually called wet ageing). Secondary packaging in vacuum such as primals which have been reprocessed and put back into vacuum bags again should also be considered.
Applications must be received by 5pm on 25 September 2020
For more information please contact
Dr Ian Jenson
ijenson@mla.com.au
02 9463 9264
Extending the practical shelf life of vacuum-packed, chilled sheep meats
The practical shelf life of vacuum-packed sheep meat stored at around -0.5°C is about 90 days for lamb but can be around 160 days in beef. While it is not necessary to be able to achieve 160 days for lamb, advantages may accrue to supply chains and customers if shelf life could be extended.
The shelf life of bone-in product is considered to be shorter than boneless products, but in some laboratory studies this could not be demonstrated. The reasons for the shorter shelf life of bone in product, and development of bone taint also needs to be investigated.
Storage at low temperature successfully lengthens the shelf life of vacuum-packed sheep meat, but is not practically achieved throughout the supply chain. Bone-in product may also have a shorter shelf life than boneless product. The factors leading to the relatively short (compared to beef) shelf life of sheep meat products, further exacerbated in bone-in products will be investigated and practical approaches to the extension of shelf life will be suggested and trialled.
A review of global adoption practices and outcomes, and recommendations for implementation within the Australian Red Meat Industry
MLA’s producer adoption program aims to build the capability of red meat producers and advisors to implement R&D on-farm, resulting in increased industry prosperity. This includes productivity, profitability, business and environmental sustainability, social licence to operate and well-being.
With the increased focus and investment towards adoption outlined in Red Meat 2030, there is an opportunity to explore new and complementary adoption models to enhance the existing MLA Adoption strategy and programs.
The aim of the review is to identify successful adoption practices not only within agriculture but across a broad range of global industries and to design an adoption concept for three of the activities that could be implemented in the Australian red meat industry.
Applications must be received by 5pm Friday 16th October.
For more information, please contact:
Alana Boulton
Northern Beef Adoption Project Manager
Meat & Livestock Australia
Phone: 0419 661 262
Email: aboulton@mla.com.au
Investigating Flock Rebuild Strategies
Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) in conjunction with Sheep Producers Australia (SPA) are seeking proposals to investigate flock rebuild strategies that enable producers to assess the most viable and economic flock recovery plan based on business goals, risk appetite and current flock base. Applicants should put forward an approach that will evaluate regionally and flock type specific rebuild strategies with the capability for producers to weight given priorities accordingly e.g. capital availability, desired rebuild phase duration.
Nominations must be lodged electronically as Word document to jgebbelsl@mla.com.au along with other requirements of this ToR.
For more information, please contact:
Joe Gebbels
Program Manager – Sheep & Goat Productivity
Phone: 0407 002 928
Email: jgebbels@mla.com.au
Applications must be received by 5pm AEST on Wednesday the 28th of October 2020.
