Economic Analysis of an Image-Based Beef Carcass Yield Estimation System in Korea

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Carcass grading is a vital process in the slaughterhouse and is used for the quantification of the overall value of carcasses. Since carcass grading is often performed manually by a team of grading experts, it is subject to human limitations which result in inconsistency and limited operation speed. Considering this, an automatic beef carcass yield estimation system capable of predicting 23 key yield parameters was developed. However, just like any freshly introduced system, analysis of the economic impact of the grading system is vital before deployment in any slaughterhouse business. In this study, a thorough economic analysis to justify deploying the developed beef carcass grading system in a standard slaughterhouse in South Korea was performed through a cost-benefit analysis. The analysis found that the benefits derived from using the developed system outweigh the costs of purchasing and operating the system making the endeavor economically viable. ABSTRACT: To minimize production costs, reduce mistakes, and improve consistency, modern-day slaughterhouses have turned to automated technologies for operations such as cutting, deboning, etc. One of the most vital operations in the slaughterhouse is carcass grading, usually performed manually by grading staff, which creates a bottleneck in terms of production speed and consistency. To speed up the carcass grading process, we developed an online system that uses image analysis and statistical tools to estimate up to 23 key yield parameters. A thorough economic analysis is required to aid slaughterhouses in making informed decisions about the risks and benefits of investing in the system. We therefore conducted an economic analysis of the system using a cost-benefit analysis (the methods considered were net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), and benefit/cost ratio (BCR)) and sensitivity analysis. The benefits considered for analysis include labor cost reduction and gross margin improvement arising from optimizing breeding practices with the use of the data obtained from the system. The cost-benefit analysis of the system resulted in an NPV of approximately 310.9 million Korean Won (KRW), a BCR of 1.72, and an IRR of 22.28%, which means the benefits outweigh the costs in the long term.