V.ISC.2226 - Solutions To Feedback Library Disease and Defect Platform Enhancement and Condition

Summary

This project focuses on refreshment, refinement and further development of the disease and defect section of the Solutions to Feedback library. With the current re-development of myFeedback, improving information available to producers to make informed animal disease and defect treatment and prevention program decisions has never been timelier. The positive production outcomes for producers and the increase in product capture for processors through on-farm animal health improvements will help to double the value of red meat. The researcher will provide expertise in the field of veterinary science by assisting to turn complex information into relevant, plateable content that producers can interpret and utilise to make significant and impactful changes on farm to improve overall carcase compliance and performance.

Objectives

The myFeedback resource allows producers and processors to quantify disease within their stock and consignments, and to benchmark relative performance. Producers with an excess of disease need access to clear, concise and consistent information on options they have for controlling the disease. The Solutions to Feeback library provide this to farmers in a digestible form, and the linkages in myFeedback automate the presentation of this to users. This has been achieved.

Key findings

The challenge is to ensure that the information for producers is a tight but complete summary of all relevant research, MLA reports and economic assessments that pertain to the condition in questions without requiring the reader to specifically source the original documents.

The tool would be greatly enhanced by increased use of images and videos; even extending to a dedicated virtual reality portal that contextualises the information in a form that producers are comfortable with.

Concurrent with these specifics, the value proportion for processor participation must be developed and the processing sector specifically engaged to encourage widespread uptake and adoption.

Finally, whilst the specific disease information summaries are useful for producers, most experienced producers understand sufficient about the diseases that these fact sheets are not the primary benefit they seek from the system. This is the relative performance of their disease control programs, links to the latest knowledge, access to expertise who can help them improve their disease control and follow-up monitoring of the impact of any change to their management on disease expression. This implies the disease fact sheets are but one part of a suite of information that farmers desire on disease.

Benefits to industry

Measurement (of a condition) is the essential first step for a producer to take control of a problem within their herd or flock. The next step is to access essential information on the condition, it’s impact and controls. The data platform provides the mechanism to record diseases and defects detected at meat inspection and this is available to producers through myFeedback with benchmarking that contextualises relative performance. This provides producers with some motivation to take corrective action (or to confirm that their controls are working). Providing the essential information on the disease and its controls through myFeedback provides producers with the knowhow to control the disease. The expansion of myFeedback with these new diseases brings farmers one step closer to optimising their disease control and to improve their profitability.

Future research

There should be regular examination of the data platform to understand the prevalence, distribution, impact and characteristics of individual diseases and defects. This will help managers understand regions and producer types who are most in need of education and information on control. The regular refinement, updating and visual appeal of disease and defect information will help to drive change. Regular testing of the suite of information with producers through workshops and field days is encouraged.

The development of virtual reality technology that shows the sites and impacts of disease and defects on carcases may be warranted. This could the central point for disease exploration and may have spin-offs into other aspects of productivity (such as liveweight gain). The development of an integrated VR sheep and cattle carcase tool is presented for consideration.

The value to the processing sector for the impost of collecting and centralising disease and defect data must also be developed. The processors need a reason to participate that returns value directly to them for this to expand beyond the current pilot reporting that is currently occurring. Their engagement is an industry priority.