Australia: Biggest gap in cattle market info stems back to numbers reported on-farm

Mandatory reporting of the prices processors pay for cattle consigned directly came up at the November annual general meeting of the big red meat research and marketing body Meat & Livestock Australia. It comes on the back of calls this year for the mandatory reporting of the prices supermarkets sell their beef for, which some believe would help address a discrepancy between what consumers are charged and what farmers are paid. However, processors say when it comes to data needs, the biggest gap is actually having a sense of what is happening on-farm. Interim chief executive officer of the Australian Meat Industry Council Tim Ryan said herd and flock estimates were a moving target, limiting the ability to pinpoint what is coming though the supply chain. "This makes business planning for both processors and producers difficult and ultimately increases risk, compounded by shifts in seasonal conditions and an ever-changing global market," he said. During question time at the MLA ...