Non-invasive hot grading of intramuscular fat (IMF) of NZ lamb carcasses
Project start: 28 March 2023
Project length: 1 year
MPI funding: $136,675
Industry funding: $209,075
Industry partner: inMR Measure Limited
Region: Nationwide
inMR Measure Limited has developed a new sensor for capturing non-invasive, automated measurements of the percentage of Intramuscular Fat (IMF) in lamb carcasses on process lines. They will make this measurement technology available to the New Zealand red meat industry by building a prototype IMF sensing unit and trialling it in a New Zealand process facility.
Novel free farrowing for New Zealand pork production
Project start: 5 May 2023
Project length: 3 years
MPI funding: $212,700
Industry funding: $675,592
Industry partner: PIC New Zealand Ltd
Region: Nationwide
The project aims to validate a novel free farrowing system as a viable replacement for the farrowing crate in New Zealand. It will support research into the welfare, performance, and practicality of this new crate free system for sows and piglets at farrowing and during lactation.
Facial Eczema RAT prototype development and field testing
Project start: 18 March 2023
Project length: 14 months
MPI funding: $35,773
Industry funding: $53,659
Industry partner: Tokaora Diagnostics Ltd
Region: Nationwide
This project aims to develop a rapid antigen test (RAT) for facial eczema (FE) in sheep, cattle and deer. FE is a disease of the liver and shows no physical symptoms until it is too late to save the animal. Currently there is no cheap, on-farm diagnostic. The test will allow better management of the disease and reduce its substantial economic impact, while improving animal welfare.
RAT on horizon to manage facial eczema on farm – MPI media release
Innovative livestock washing system for enhanced sustainability outcomes in the red meat sector
Project start: 7 February 2023
Project length: 5 years
MPI funding: $333,472
Industry funding: $500,208
Industry partners: Silver Fern Farms
Region: Nationwide
The project will pilot the Klenzion Stockwash system to reduce water use and wastewater volume. It will provide tools for the wider red meat industry to incentivise uptake. The system has the potential to reduce the water use for livestock washing by around 50% annually and decrease wastewater output by around 13%.
Scaling up production and application of norbormide for pest control in agricultural settings
Project start: 19 May 2022
Project length: 2 years
MPI funding: $125,000
Industry funding: $125,000
Industry partners: Invasive Pest Control (IPC) Ltd
Region: Nationwide
This unique project represents a crucial step towards enabling scaled-up production of norbormide for residue-free, safe and effective rodent control on New Zealand farms. This will be a world first.
Pork eating quality standard
Project start: 1 March 2022
Project length: 1 year
MPI funding: $45,000
Industry funding: $64,523
Industry partners: New Zealand Pork Industry Board
Region: Nationwide
This project will seek ways to improve pork eating quality. The findings will aid the development of a consumer-based pork quality standard.
Scientists launch study into what makes the best New Zealand pork – Agresearch
Smart Ewes for Smart Markets
Project start: 20 October 2021
Project length: 3 years
MPI funding: $718,898
Industry funding: $1,060,540
Industry partner: Smart Shepherd NZ Limited, Horizon Farming, Hewett Farms, Panoptistar, Stag Valley, Lonestar Farms, Harper Agri, Smart Ewe, Auckland City Council
Region: Nationwide
The project involves attaching blue-tooth proximity tags to ewes and their lambs. These tags will collect detailed data on maternal behaviour of ewes from sheep farms over 3 years. The data and predictors will then be applied to farm systems to inform breeding decisions and improve mothering outcomes.
Dung Life
Project start: 15 March 2021
Project length: 5 years
MPI funding: $91,500
Industry funding: $42,000
Industry partners: AgResearch, Project Parore, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Otago University
Region: Bay of Plenty
This project will assess the impact of dung fauna interactions on the environment, soil and animal health. This includes specifically looking at the interactions between dung beetles and earthworms, which has not been significantly studied in New Zealand. The aim is to understand these interactions throughout the seasons to enable confident investment by livestock farmers.
Informing New Zealand Beef
Project start: 1 January 2021
Project length: 7 years
MPI funding: $6,684,600
Industry funding: $10,026,900
Industry partners: Beef + Lamb New Zealand Limited
Region: Nationwide
Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) aims to deliver best practice genetic selection tools to improve the productivity and profitability of New Zealand’s beef industry, in a sustainable manner that responds to consumer preferences.
New Zealand beef genetics to receive $16.7m injection – Beef + Lamb New Zealand
Informing New Zealand Beef outcome logic model [PDF, 67 KB]
July to September 2022: Informing New Zealand Beef progress report [PDF, 1.2 MB]
NZ charcuterie culture – fine food manufacturing from grass-fed red meats
Project start: 9 June 2020
Project length: 4 years
MPI funding: $982,320
Industry funding: $1,473,480
Industry partner: Four Good Foods
Region: Bay of Plenty
Four Good Foods aims to create a new value chain producing fine charcuterie products with new flavours. The meat will be naturally fermented without added nitrates or chemicals. This high-end, unique product has the potential to create a new domestic industry sector and export option for New Zealand red meats.
Future proofing the New Zealand poultry industry against biological hazards
Project start: 9 March 2020
Project length: 2 years 9 months
MPI funding: $240,000
Industry funding: $110,000
Industry partner: Massey University, Poultry Industry Association of New Zealand, Egg Producers Federation
Region: Nationwide
The New Zealand poultry industry is vulnerable to infectious disease outbreaks that can disrupt domestic supply chains as well as access to international trade markets. This project involves working with poultry producers, industry, and government to co-design a national poultry information system with decision-support tools to help the poultry industry prepare and respond effectively to future disease threats.
