Objective carcase measurement from commercial supply chains contributing to genetic improvement

Abstract

<p>Australia's meat supply-chains are investing in a range of new technologies to improve productivity across the whole value-chain. This has been a collaborative effort aiming to transform industry competitiveness by creating feedback and decision support systems linked to accurate carcase measurements. The Australian sheep industry has also been developing tools for sheep breeders to make simultaneous improvements in the proportion of carcase saleable meat (lean meat yield: LMY) and its eating quality (EQ). Lean meat yield and eating quality attributes are antagonistically related and 'difficult to measure' for seedstock selection purposes. Objective carcase measurements from commercial supply chains offer an important tool for seedstock breeders, and the genetic validation of new technologies for assessment of LMY and EQ can increase opportunities to improve genetic progress. Genetic analysis of both LMY and EQ traits, recorded using several new technologies, demonstrated excellent accuracy. This analysis provided the platform for the new measures to be used in routine genetic evaluation and fast-track genetic progress. Furthermore, our existing genomic selection protocols coupled with objective carcase measurements from commercial lambs offer new opportunities to increase the reference population size and reduce the current reliance on expensive resource populations. New LMY and EQ measuring technologies can also help seedstock breeders by using the collected data and developing platforms to underpin pricing signals for commercial sheep producers. Currently, there are limited pricing signals for both LMY and EQ but their development can help seedstock breeders to invest in these traits within their breeding objectives.</p>