Abstract:
The beef industry needs a simple and effective yield payment system, which producers can understand and smaller processors can use as a cheap alternative to VIAscan. A price grid based on carcase weight (HSCW), rib fat and eye-muscle area (EMA) can fit this need. Producers can relate these to live cattle assessment, and could therefore respond to incentives to lift carcase yield, improve returns for their cattle and reduce wastage in the industry. It would be cheap and easy to implement, especially where Meat Standards Australia (MSA) grading is already practised, and could be used to develop yield improvement training.