SUPPLY CHAIN NESS Backed by producers “We get great satisfaction working with Although the business also sells producers who feel a part of our supply Developing a Wagyu and Angus beef, its primary chain and the Dorper Lamb brand,” focus is exactly as the name suggests: Dale said. successful brand Dorper lamb. “We provide as much direct and indirect Dorper Lamb General Manager Dale said the breed’s traits, such as feedback as we can including fully Dale Miles shares his insights fast-maturing lambs with an even detailed kill reports, weight and fat score into developing a successful red distribution of fat, ticks the boxes for distribution curves, grid compliance, meat brand: producers and customers. carcase downgrades and photographic 1.Consumers and producers feedback on carcase traits.” appreciate supply chain “We get great feedback Dale said they also try and work transparency. from Asian consumers in within producers’ turn-off times, and 2. Face-to-face demonstration is a particular, who describe the coordinate with them for appropriate highly effective way to engage processing schedules and kill space at and open new markets. product as clean and fresh the abattoir. with a modest aroma, not 3. Product differentiation enables Dale believes it’s this involvement marketing to be targeted. too fatty, but with enough which makes WA Dorper producers 4. Traceability throughout the fat to carry the flavour.” keen to supply to the company. supply chain has become “It’s taken some time to develop a increasingly important for The Dorper Lamb supply chain provides really good supply network and consumers who want a trusted, producers with total transparency about it’s encouraging to have Dorper safe and healthy red meat where their animals end up and how the producers approaching us wanting to protein solution. consumers appreciate them. be part of our Dorper Lamb brand and 5. The integrity of a brand is “There’s a sense of pride and belonging supply chain.” reinforced by exemplary for our producer network,” Dale said. Future goals customer service, a consistently high quality product and strong “They know they’re involved in Dorper Lamb is also registered with supply chain relationships. producing a good product. They MLA’s True Aussie Lamb brand and know they’re not dealing through has plans to incorporate this into new For more tips on developing any intermediaries.” packaging and branding. beef and lamb brands, check out CoMarketing case studies in recent Suppliers to the Dorper Lamb “We already use it with our export editions of Feedback magazine network have received premiums of markets but we’d like to use it more (mla.com.au/feedback): $10–15/head (on average) depending effectively with branding on actual • Dardanup Butchering Company: on seasonal conditions, carcase products. It gives consumers confidence May/June 2020 specification, and volume and regularity and trust in the origin of the product. of supply. • Greenham: March/April 2020 “Having True Aussie authenticates the • North Australian Pastoral Company: Paddock-to-plate story experience and origin of product.” ■ September/October 2019 Producers are an important part of the Dorper Lamb brand and story, and Dale Miles the company has built a network of E: dale@dorperlamb.com.au producers who: MLA CoMarketing program • have good on-farm management comarketing.mla.com.au practices and sound animal welfare In episode 8 of MLA’s ‘On the ground’ principles Dorper Lamb podcast, an expert panel assesses the dorperlamb.com.au importance of a strong brand strategy as • select for traditional Dorper traits of True Aussie Beef and Lamb: we enter a global economic recession. high fertility, natural shedding, good trueaussiebeefandlamb.com.au conformation and rapid growth. mla.com.au/on‑the‑ground 41