Live export welfare reporting in for an upgrade

Australia’s live export industry will benefit from upgraded health and welfare reporting and enhanced traceability after LiveCorp received a $150,000 Federal Government grant.

The live export industry research body will use the grant to further advance the export industry’s data management system, LIVEXCollect.

Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said the funding would modernise and standardise data collection within the sector.

“By developing a smart device app prototype of LIVEXCollect, the industry will move towards a more digitised data collection method,” Mr Littleproud said.

“This will mean that livestock health and welfare data can be collected and reported with more accuracy and ease.

“This builds on the important work already undertaken by the industry and the regulator to improve animal welfare outcomes.”

LiveCorp chief executive Sam Brown said the funding presented an opportunity to further progress the digital transformation of the livestock export industry.

“By expanding the technical capability of LIVEXCollect, we can automate and more efficiently collect data on a range of factors influencing animal health and welfare,” he said.

“At the same time, it will allow the data linked to individuals and mobs of livestock to be tracked through the supply chain.

Mr Brown said the funding would help the livestock industry “take full advantage of the latest technological advancements.”

The project was one of 14 to receive funding under the second round of the Traceability Grants Program, which aims to benefit exporters and increase opportunities to export Australian commodities.

The program is part of the Federal Government’s Modernising Agricultural Trade agenda, which aims support the target of a $100 billion agricultural sector by 2030.

About $7 million worth of federal funding will have been invested in traceability grants by the end of the 2022-23 financial year.