Science of Merino: Meat Standards Australia lamb program sets standard for meat yield and eating quality

New data from the ongoing research and development of the Meat Standards Australia lamb program is spurring sheep breeders across Australia to sharpen their genetic selections with a stronger focus on the end consumer. Since 2016, research partner Advanced Livestock Measurement Technologies Australia has been working to develop advanced measurements of red meat quality and quantity that will enhance the Australian beef, lamb and pork industries’ ability to respond to demands and capture value-chain price differentials. By 2040, it is estimated that ALMTech will have generated as much as $510 million extra for the beef, lamb and pork industries in Australia. University of New England animal genetics and breeding unit researcher Daniel Brown said these advancements were also feeding back down the supply chain to producers who were using Australian Sheep Breeding Values with greater focus on eating quality traits. “We’ve been collecting data since 2007 through a range of industry and government-funded genetics R&D programs, and from that we developed breeding values in 2013 for eating quality and yield related traits,” he said. This work has also contributed to the development of a cuts-based grading model for the lamb industry to create value through segregation of cuts based on quality, as well as helping breeders make better genetic selection decisions. “MSA has always been thought about as a metric to describe eating quality to improve consumer experience, and therefore draw out more value for processors and producers, but we are seeing that it has also put value around desirable genetic traits allowing breeders to balance their selection appropriately across traits,” Dr Brown said. “There are already several breeders that are developing lines of seedstock animals that are targeted towards particular eating quality attributes and their progeny are being slaughtered and marketed as having those attributes.” Dr Brown said the rewards were already being felt by some producers. “It’s exciting to see this research go both up and down the supply chain to make a real difference,” he said. Dr Brown said the readiness of producers to apply this research was a credit to them. “Producers have jumped in and set about understanding the impacts of MSA measurements for lamb meat yield and eating quality and, particularly ram breeders, have turned it around and used it to create value — it’s very impressive,” he said. “While some people may think of MSA as being only about consumers, and so quite removed from those of us working at the very beginning of the supply chain, that’s not right because it all begins with us — it all begins with good genetics. “If we are able to target eating quality more precisely through ASBVs, we are laying the foundations for the best eating experience for consumers and improved returns for everyone in the supply chain.” Dr Brown said the MSA program, together with Sheep Genetics and a number of MLA-funded genetics R&D programs, had given some really clear goalposts to aim for in data backed, accurate ASBVs and that’s what the focus was on.