A meat industry consortium is ready to go to market with robots that can automatically deal with the gut and brisket in sheepmeat processing plants.
Ovine Automation Limited says the two robots are the first of many it's developing to fully revolutionise sheep processing chains.
Manager Richard McColl says the the programme aims to fully automate animal processing.
He says the meat industry has been forced to develop robots because of the difficulties in finding, and retaining skilled workers.
The research consortium says automating pelt removal is next on its list.
The consortium is made up of nine meat companies, with funding from Government science funding agency FORST.
It was launched in 2009 to deliver productivity gains of more than $40 million a year within five years to the meat industry.
