@article{Crawford:285014,
      recid = {285014},
      author = {Crawford, Maria and Ferrier, Greg and Griffith, Garry},
      title = {Non-compliance with Market Specifications in a Victorian  Pasture-fed Beef Value Chain1},
      journal = {Australasian Agribusiness Review},
      address = {2017},
      number = {1673-2019-705},
      year = {2017},
      abstract = {Pasture-fed beef is being increasingly demanded by global  beef consumers. However, pasture-fed beef value chains are  struggling to maintain continuity of supply and consistent  quality of product year round. Pasture-based production  systems are influenced extensively by environmental  conditions, pasture species, grazing management and  livestock management systems. This variability, compounded  by variability in market outcomes, could have a significant  impact on the long term viability and profitability of  producers in the value chain. This study aimed to assess  the level of non-compliance in one southern pasture-fed  value chain, with the intention of using the results to  focus further work on areas of production and supply most  critical to sustaining the market. Nineteen months of  carcass grading data over 2012 and 2013 from almost 63,000  cattle were evaluated to determine the levels of  non-compliance with the relevant company specifications.  Hot standard carcass weight, P8 fat depth and sex were the  carcass attributes that were compared and analysed. The  2012 data set comprised 3,905 heifers and 9,922 steers.  Some 66% of the heifers and 62% of the steers did not meet  the preferred company specifications for carcass weight and  fat depth. For heifers, the cost of non-compliance was  estimated to be $63 per carcass and for steers it was $47  per carcass. The 2013 data set comprised 19,099 heifers and  30,014 steers. A total of 78% of the heifers did not meet  the highest value specification on the grid, with more than  50% of heifer carcasses being too light. Just on 60% of  steer carcasses did not meet the 2013 weight and fat  specifications with 39% of all the steers being overweight.  The foregone value in non-compliance for heifers was  estimated to be $84 per carcass and, for steers, $87 per  carcass. Across the whole dataset, the weighted average  cost of non-compliance was $78 per carcass.},
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/285014},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.285014},
}