External review of the Tasmanian Red Meat Targets program

Summary

An external review was undertaken to evaluate the impact of a five-year program aimed at increasing the profitability and sustainability of the red meat industry in Tasmania. The program, called Red Meat Targets (RMT), was a partnership between Meat & Livestock Australia, the Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research and the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment. The review found the program reached about one third of the target audience, lifted their skills, knowledge and adoption leading to enhanced on-farm performance. The partners of RMT received a return on their investment estimated as a benefit-cost ratio of 2.83. The review team recommends that the partners should continue to provide a program under the RMT brand aimed at increasing on-farm productivity and profitability with an enhanced systems approach but with clearer, measurable goals, an effective evaluation framework and more agribusiness involvement and co-operation.