THE ability to provide farmers with more information on the lamb they produce was the motivation behind a number of recent investments by livestock processor JBS at its Bordertown plant.
The investments have also created efficiencies at the plant, which allowed the processor to add a second shift in 2013 and increase employment in the region.
Bordertown has one of the lowest unemployment rates in SA, helped by the fact that nearly 600 people are employed at the JBS plant – making it the town's largest employer.
About 7000 lambs are processed daily across two shifts. The plant operates five days a week, but will wind down leading into the winter shut-down.
Maximum capacity at the plant is 8000 head.
JBS Australia corporate and regulatory head John Berry said adding the second shift had highlighted an area in need of improvement in the region – housing.
But the company has been working closely with the local council and the state government on resolving the issue within Bordertown and the greater Tatiara region.
"We have been focused on making sure that with our expansion to the double shift, we are able to provide people with housing," he said.
"We don't want people to have to travel long distances to get to work here.
"We need that infrastructure to support the growth of our business and have a strong local community, so we commend the local and state government on working with us on that. There are some exciting opportunities ahead."
JBS' recent $6.5-million investment in a X-ray primal saw machine at the Bordertown plant is also creating exciting opportunities for suppliers.
The technology was installed at Bordertown in late 2013, and is the only one of its kind in Australia.
"There have been other kinds of primal cutting machines in Australia, but not of this precision," JBS Southern supply chain manager Mark Inglis said.
"This technology picks up more yield from the lamb carcase than human intervention can – and the X-ray allows the lamb to be cut right on the rib every time."
The X-ray technology not only automates the cutting of the carcase, but is expected to provide objective measurements, such as bone and fat content, and possibly eye muscle area and intra-muscular fat readings in the future.
"There is some really interesting stuff coming out of the Bordertown plant in regards to objective measurement," Mr Inglis said.
"Lamb is miles behind beef in regards to data that we collect and then provide back producers, particularly in its accuracy.
"We have been working heavily with industry to improve that, and this new technology is part of that."
JBS have also recently joined up to Livestock Data Link – a new initiative by Meat & Livestock Australia that aims to enhance the exchange and utilisation of carcase performance information by businesses within the red meat industry.
"We aim to link our measurements we record back to this online feedback system," Mr Inglis said.
"It's pretty exciting times going forward with this stuff, in measurements and information flow."
JBS Southern chief operating officer Sam McConnell said while the new X-ray machine reduced the labour force within that section of the boning room, the efficiencies it created allowed them to add the second shift at the plant.
"It has also helped us to move staff away from the more dangerous jobs – using saws and knives.
"We have also installed a new frenching machine (for lamb racks), which again has improved the staff safety within the plant."
