Over recent decades, the Australian grains industry has faced various challenges arising from changing climate, increases in extreme weather events and declining public research, development and extension (RD&E). At the same time, there has been growing competition in Australia's main grain export markets. To increase the annual rate of productivity growth and maintain international competitiveness, more and better-aimed investments in agricultural RD&E are required. Equilibrium Displacement Models (EDMs) provide a framework for assessing the potential economic returns to investments in agricultural RD&E and the distribution of these returns along the industry supply chain.

In this paper, an EDM for the southern Australian grains industry, encompassing South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania, is developed as a companion to the previously developed EDM of the WA grains industry. Using the EDM, three hypothetical RD&E investment scenarios are examined: a reduction in the cost of farm production variable inputs resulting from new farm technologies or improvements in cropping processes and practices; a cost reduction in stockfeed manufacturing resulting from new technologies and improved industrial techniques; and an increase in the willingness of overseas consumers to pay for wheat due to quality improvements or promotion. The results show that, directing RD&E towards a market segment of the supply chain with high gross revenue generates greater returns to the industry as a whole. As such, RD&E investment aimed at either farm production or bulk wheat export-segments of the supply chain which account for substantial gross value at farm gate and port-can yield high returns. Additionally, producers gain a greater share of benefits when productivity-enhancing research is directed towards on-farm rather than off-farm processes. Furthermore, producers can accrue large shares of the total benefits arising from research that enhances the quality of bulk grain exports because of the high price elasticity of demand for export grains.

This thesis provides empirical evidence on the benefits and value of sharing information about product quality vertically between upstream supply chain actors in the Australian beef and sheep meat industry. The central research objective is illustrated by five separate but interrelated papers: three aimed at revealing the linkages between information quality, information quantity, and firm performance" and two aimed at estimating the value placed on information about product quality by two actors in the red meat supply chain at two levels of information quality and quantity" and at identifying the determinants of producers' willingness to provide and willingness to pay for information about product quality in these supply chains.

A rigorous literature review is presented on the impacts of information quality and quantity on firm and supply chain performance, and past empirical work is further synthesised in a metaanalysis. From this work, a conceptual framework for provision and utilisation of meat quality information in the supply chain is developed and tested using Australian survey data contributed by stud breeders and livestock producers. Analysis of the survey data employs several techniques including structural equation modelling, binomial logit regression, and descriptive and summary statistics.

Each of papers in this thesis use a subset of data extracted from two surveys of Australian sheep and cattle breeders and commercial producers, with a total of 139 respondents. These two surveys were conducted on-line, from November 2017 to October 2018.

The samples drawn from these two surveys reflect the characteristics of Australian farmers as a whole, in terms of farmers' age and gender proportion. Although the limited sample size restricts the extent to which more sophisticated techniques can be used to examine the current issues in these industries, the data is presented as sufficient to address research problems and to test the conceptual framework at an initial stage.

Results generally validated the conceptual framework. They showed that the effects at firm and supply chain levels of information quantity and quantity, and the value placed on information, varied across information types in ways projected by the conceptual framework. They identified systematic differences between beef and sheep meat supply chains, and according to expectations of farmer and farm characteristics. Information quality influences firm performance more for some types of product information than for others, and is more influential overall than is information quantity. Results also reveal upstream producers' strong interest in improving the quality and quantity of this information. A comparison between two stages of the supply chain shows that stud breeders value this information more than do cattle producers. The identified asymmetric perception of value is considered as a potential cause of chain failure, constraining the maximization of supply chain surplus through use of information in management decisions, and in the longer term through reduced incentives to adopt information technology.

To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to assign value to different types of product quality information at separate points in the beef and sheep meat supply chains. It is also the first to assess quantitatively the role played by information quality and quantity in generating value for this industry and the first to detect empirically potential causes of chain failure in a vertically co-ordinated industry. Our results offer guidance to industry and government on improving red meat supply chain performance. Recommendations are made for future research.

Context. This study assesses the monetary value of product quality information, specifically feedback from slaughter and production methods, within the Australian beef and sheep meat supply chains. Aims. The primary objective was to investigate the value assigned by supply chain actors to product quality information, measured as willingness to pay for receiving it or willingness to accept payment for providing it. The study also aimed to explore how the value of thisinformation varies based on information quality and quantity. Methods. A contingent valuation approach was employed, utilising survey data from 104 producers. Logit models were used to identify the factors influencing meat producers' willingness to accept payment and willingness to pay. Key results,. Over one-third of cattle and sheep producers expressed interest in receiving feedback from slaughter information and providing production methods information. Production methods information had the highest mean value at the premium information quality and quantity level, with values of AU$20.49/head in the beef industry and AU$10.13/head in the sheep industry. Conversely, feedback from slaughter information had the lowest mean value at the low information quality and quantity level, with values of AU$0.83/carcass in beef and AU$0.14/carcass in sheep. Farmers' experience and education level significantly influenced their willingness to accept payment and willingnessto pay for product quality information. Conclusions. A significant proportion of producers within the Australian beef and sheep meat supply chains express a desire to provide or pay for product quality information. The value assigned to this information demonstrates a positive relationship with higher information quality and quantity. However, variations in expressed value of different information types, and the influence of farmer and farm characteristics, suggest the presence of chain failures that disrupt information valuation. Implications. These findings have important implications for improving the performance of the red meat supply chains. Understanding the factors that influence the valuation of product quality information allows stakeholders to develop targeted strategies to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of information exchange. This may involve addressing chain failures, and implementing measures to ensure consistent and accurate valuation of information. Ultimately, these improvements can contribute to enhanced decision making processes and overall supply chain performance in the Australian beef and sheep meat industry.