National Producer Survey to offer new sustainability insights

Understanding producer sustainability practices is key to securing the future of the industry

Meat & Livestock Australia’s (MLA) biennial survey of producers to benchmark and track the key metrics that underpin the ABSF is about the get underway.

Regular tracking of cattle producers’ attitudes and behaviours via survey-based methodologies helps ensure that progress against the four themes of the ABSF – caring for cattle, enhancing the environment and climate, looking after people, customers and the community, and ensuring a financially resilient industry – can be measured and that industry initiatives to drive change can be developed and adapted.

The most recent survey in 2022 involved 803 beef producers, who were asked a series of questions online or over the phone, with results weighted by state and herd size categories. Producers were asked about topics including level of educational attainment, herd size, pain management practices, castration techniques, methods of restraint, and vaccination programs.

The benefits to industry of this research are that it has demonstrated that cattle producers have adopted, to different degrees, a wide range of sustainability practices and strategies in relation to animal husbandry, management and the environment.

The fifth edition of the survey will also bring new insights. For the first time, the survey will include further indicators to assist industry in reporting its environmental performance across priorities and indicators.

The outputs of the survey will further underpin the ABSF and guide MLA’s investment and programming across the beef industry.

Surveys will be sent to MLA beef cattle members from 29 January.