Opti-Beef – Commercialisation Launch Readiness

The OPTI-BEEF project, initiated in May 2019, was awarded substantial funding of £1.2m from UK Research and Innovation, through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. This support was part of a broader initiative to bolster 'Productive and Sustainable Crop and Ruminant Agricultural Systems'.

Over its four-year duration, OPTI-BEEF aimed to create an enhanced decision support system that integrates on-farm whole-life performance monitoring with detailed carcass measurements from precision agriculture technology. This integration was designed for deployment both on-farm and in-abattoirs. The project successfully developed new on-farm technologies for individual animal monitoring, innovative parameter extraction algorithms for both live animal and carcass images, precise grading prediction models, and user-friendly on-farm and abattoir data platforms.

However, to transition to a commercially viable product, further refinements are essential. The project now focuses on real-time image processing to cater to abattoirs' needs and ensuring reliable linkage of cattle IDs to images captured within the fast/complex abattoir environment. Additionally, to achieve commercial licensing, there is a need to enhance the accuracy of grading models on a 15-point scale and devise a reliable method for assessing fat coverage/depth.

Key objectives include:

* Crafting a fully automated software integration solution for reliable image and UKID linkage.
* Developing an algorithm for accurate carcass fat coverage/depth prediction.
* Refining the image processing algorithm to account for real-time abattoir conditions.
* Creating a commercial-grade algorithm for predicting carcass conformation and fat classifications and carcass weight.
* Develop predictions of new carcass traits and explore their use within grading/pricing models.

By the project's conclusion, the goal is to have a robust abattoir imaging product ready for licensing by Defra. This product will be among the few licensed VIA options for UK abattoirs. It will synergise with the recently developed on-farm technology, offering the beef industry an invaluable integrated management tool. This tool aims to facilitate informed decision-making, leading to more animals meeting abattoir requirements, better input management by producers, reduced environmental impact, and increased returns on reared animals. The beef industry's ongoing need for an integrated decision-making platform is addressed by this advanced and innovative solution.