Why MSA grading is paying off for cattle producers

Cattle producers whose stock make the MSA grade are reaping the rewards to the tune of $200m across Australia according to the latest analysis.

More than half the adult cattle slaughtered in the past financial year were graded under the Meat Standards Australia system.

And the 3.25 million cattle processed nationally under MSA grading earned an additional $204 for producers, according to the analysis done by Meat and Livestock Australia.

In the MSA annual outcomes report, program manager David Packer said the estimated increased returns were up from the previous record of $198 million in 2018-2019.

“Australia’s world-leading eating quality grading program, Meat Standards Australia (MSA), continues to deliver significant benefits and value to the red meat industry, from the farm gate, throughout the supply chain, and to the consumer’s plate,” Mr Packer said.

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While the number of cattle processed under MSA grading was down on the previous financial year, Mr Packer said this was a reflection of the overall lower kill nationally.

The average MSA Index for MSA-compliant carcasses was 57.37, dipping slightly from the national average of 57.62 in 2020–21.

“This can be attributed to a range of key factors influencing grading results, including an increase in females with higher ossification scores from some regions, and up to a 10 per cent increase in the proportion of hormonal growth promotant usage in some categories,” Mr Packer said.

In a state-by-state breakdown, South Australia has the highest percentage of MSA-graded cattle at 90 per cent of the cattle slaughtered, while Victoria has the lowest at 30 per cent of cattle processed.