Alliance & MEQ launch AI insights into quality of lamb & beef

Australian agtech company MEQ and New Zealand's Alliance Group have partnered to provide farmer-shareholders with real-time artificial intelligence-powered insights into lamb and beef quality.

Alliance Group has deployed MEQ's lamb and beef probes across its plant network.

These probes utilise machine learning and AI technology to analyse intramuscular fat (IMF) in lamb and marbling in beef, which are central indicators of tenderness, juiciness, and flavour.

The deployment means farmers will receive immediate, objective feedback about the quality of their animals through a bespoke insights dashboard. This information is designed to support farmers in making more informed decisions regarding breeding, feeding, and livestock management.

Regarding the lamb insights, the dashboard combines IMF levels with ViaScan lean meat yield and carcass weight data to determine the optimal balance of tenderness, juiciness, and nutritious fats like omega fatty acids.

This "sweet spot" aims to ensure a consistently premium eating experience for consumers.

Chief Executive of Alliance, Willie Wiese, stated, "This new insights dashboard underpins Alliance's commitment to helping our farmers consistently meet top quality standards and deliver a premium meat-eating experience to consumers."

Mr Wiese continued, "Our Meat Eating Experience (MEEx) programme independently verifies the quality of each livestock unit to ensure an exceptional eating experience. IMF is influenced by genetics, animal health, feed and on farm management systems."

"By focusing on natural IMF levels, lean meat yield, and the presence of nutritious polyunsaturated fats, we're supporting our farmers to produce meat that stands out for its tenderness, juiciness, and flavour."

Alliance farmer-shareholders with Platinum and Gold supplier status are able to access the MEQ dashboard and receive tailored results via the Alliance farmer portal.

Platinum status requires supplying 100 per cent of all stock to Alliance, while Gold status requires supplying 100 per cent of one species.

Remo Carbone, Chief Executive of MEQ, commented, "We are thrilled to deepen our partnership with Alliance and play a part in connecting advanced technology with on-farm decision-making. The MEQ dashboard is providing Alliance farmers with unparalleled insights to optimise livestock quality while staying ahead of market demands. This not only empowers farmers to make data-backed decisions but also underscores Alliance's forward-thinking approach to delivering quality meat. We're excited to see how these insights are driving tangible value for Alliance's farmers and the broader food industry."

By the end of 2024, it is expected that Alliance will offer regional benchmarking data, which their livestock representatives can use to help loyal farmers identify opportunities to create more value on their farms.

In addition to this, standard quality metrics are made available on processing and chiller assessment sheets, providing all Alliance farmers with a clear view of their livestock's eating quality performance.

Mr Wiese noted, "This new dashboard is part of Alliance's enhanced offering for farmers, alongside a simplified equitable livestock pricing schedule and processing sheets, a reshaped loyalty programme, and refined premium programmes.

The data will give farmers the ability to understand which levers they can use to build more value behind the farm gate. We are proud to provide our farmers with these advanced tools to improve on-farm practices, maximise returns, and meet evolving consumer expectations worldwide."

Farmers who meet Alliance's loyalty criteria and have yet to receive an email invitation to access the dashboard are encouraged to contact their livestock representatives for assistance.