ON FARM SOUTHERN SHEEP & CATTLE BUSINESS MANAGEMENTC Linking up data for success SA producer Jane Kellocksays it pays to monitorindividual animalperformance and keep a finger on the pulse of market and consumer needs. Jane’s livestock consistently achieve 98% Meat Standards Australia (MSA) compliance and she credits MLA’s Livestock Data Link (LDL) information‑sharing platform for making it possible. Launched in May 2015, LDL is an online portal that enables the flow of carcase information between certain processors and producers. The information allowsJane Kellock, Farrell Flat, SA producers to review individual carcase performance and assess it against creating customised grids that map quality assurance program guarantees market compliance specifications. carcase performance against individualthe supply chain, from producer to market specifications. processor, meets expected standards “Every time we send a mob of lambs, for food safety, animal welfare, quality we always seem to get the information“I have a look at the grid to see if it’sassurance and traceability. back on LDL quicker than we get it worth us keeping animals in a feedlot to through our agents,” Jane said. get some more weight on them, or quitJBS Farm Assurance Supply Chain them a bit earlier,” she said. Manager Mark Inglis said LDL helps “I can go in and see if we’ve had any share a large amount of data with carcases condemned and whether it’s Animal health remains the most producers in a meaningful and cost us anything. We can also find outimportant aspect of the business beneficial way. the reasons why.” and, through LDL, Jane is able to view all animal health conditions in“We process around 60,000 lambs a Jane consigns up to 5,000 head to MSAconsignments through data collectedweek between two plants, Bordertown annually and believes LDL provides via the MLA‑supported National Sheepand Brooklyn, so we have huge critical information every business Health Monitoring Project. amounts of data,” Mark said. should know. “If you’ve got sheep that have got grass“LDL allows us to get that data back to “For me, the feedback is fantastic as itseeds in them, then there’s a costproducers in a form they can actually shows where we’re meeting our targetsassociated with that,” she said. understand and work with.” ■ for our meat and fat condition scores,” Jane said. Processor perspective Jane Kellock “LDL can tell us exactly what it’s costingJane has supplied processor JBS E: kelvale1@bigpond.com us by not meeting those targets.” Southern Bordertown for around three Watch a video of Jane sharing her years. JBS Southern Bordertown was experience with LDL: mla.com.au/ LDL also supports Jane to make an early adopter of LDL in its wider LDLKellock informed management decisions by farm assurance program. The on‑farm SNAPSHOT:Greg and Jane Kellock, Farrell Flat, SA Sl Area: Enterprise: Livestock: Pasture: Soil: Rainfall: 2,500ha Cropping, 4,500 Merinos, Improved Red loamy 450mm self‑replacing Merino2,000 crossbred pastures and clay flock, lamb feedlot lambs and lucerne flats and cattle 40 cattle 27