porkjournalJuly/August 2014Volume 36 Issue 4

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PrintPost Approved PP10003090 ISSN 1032 3759

Celebrating the sizzle with Australian Bacon WeekA different

approach to pig farming

No link shown between PEDv and porcine plasma products

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Page 8: A different approach to pig farming PED virus has been a concern for many in the conventional US pig industry. Not so much for Benji Anderson, owner of remotely located Anderson Farms in Georgia. He is proud of his pigs roaming in the fields. His customers are local ‘green’ restaurants.

Page 4: No link shown between PEDv and porcine plasma products

Page 6: Rabobank report on supply and demand in the pork industry

Page 12: Celebrating the sizzle with Australian Bacon Week

Page 14: Trade agreements with Korea offer some optimism for the Australian pig industry but not so with Japan

Page 16: Five years’ lobbying pays off for VFF Pig Group

Page 17: Managing animal well being – a preliminary study for farmers

Page 18: Improving market access for Australian agriculture

Page 21: PEDv is seen as a threat to Australia3

Charlie Costello and Peter Curry from Pialligo Farm Smokehouse (Story page 12)

July/August 2014Volume 36 Issue 4

NEWS

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Pork Journal seems to have stirred up some controversy when we ran a news item, mostly about China in the March/April 2014 edition.

After the US outbreak of PEDv spread to Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency investigated US-produced porcine plasma products as a possible source of transmission of PEDv.

Though the CFIA considered that porcine plasma had the potential to carry the PEDv virus, it concluded that the tests they carried out did not demonstrate this was the source of infection transmission of PEDv from the US to Canada.

Despite the fact that the CFIA investigation did not identify porcine plasma as being the source of PED infection, in early May, French authorities issued a ban on pig products including porcine plasma that reignited the debate.

Reports in local media interpreted events in the following article:

“France is looking at banning pigs and pig by-products from a number of countries, including the US, Canada and Mexico, over fears surrounding the porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDv) .

“It had originally looked at introducing the ban over the weekend, over fears of porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus, but has delayed the decision until today, when European experts are due to meet to discuss the potential risks.

“PEDv has wiped out as many as seven million pigs in the US in the past year, pushing pig prices to record highs. In Europe the pig industry is on red alert, in a bid to prevent an outstandingly virulent pig disease from entering the region.

“The industry is focusing in particular on a specialist feed ingredient for young pigs – spray-dried porcine plasma”.

“Positive polymerase chain reaction tests in the States and bioassay tests by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have pointed to spray-dried porcine plasma (SDPP) as an ingredient being capable of containing porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDv), but not that it is necessarily capable of actually

No link shown between PEDv and porcine plasma productstransmitting the disease. Further tests are ongoing in the hope of getting a clearer picture.

“However in Britain, specialist pig vets say that if PEDv arrived in the country it would spread quickly through the nation’s naive pig population, causing incalculable damage, so industry organisations are urging producers to take every precaution, even though the case against SDPP is unproven,” the report concluded.

Given the virulent nature of PEDv and the high mortality rate, it is hardly surprising that there is concern over possible transmission sources. However it would seem that lax biosecurity over feedstocks and transport of pigs is the more likely cause of PEDv spread.

Dr Dave Cadogan from Feedworks expressed his concern over erroneous reports that porcine plasma was responsible for spreading PEDv in North America and other countries.

He pointed out that porcine plasma in creep feed had proved to be an effective factor in improving piglet health since it was introduced in late 2011.

“The Pork CRC supported Dr Megan Edward’s research into spray dried plasma and subsequently commercial products containing porcine plasma became available on the Australian market,” Dr Cadogan said.

In an article on a Woomelang pig farm in NE Victoria ‘Saving piglets and the growth check works for Grant Kelly’ which ran in Pork

Journal September/October 2011, we reported the vital contribution of creep feed containing porcine plasma, post weaning.

The electronic version of that issue can be viewed by going to :- porkjournal.realviewtechnologies.com/?iid=56008

Sonac, which supplies porcine plasma to Feedworks, issued a statement clarifying its production process and safety checks in the light of recent non-substantiated accusations regarding porcine plasma and PEDv transmission.

On May 5, 2014, Pieter Derks, QHSE Manager of Darling Ingredients International – ERS issued the following statement.

“Following reports concerning Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea virus in the USA and the speculated role of spray dried plasma, we would like to inform you about the situation in Australia.

“Sonac applies several steps in its manufacturing process of spray dried plasma that contribute to the biosafety of this nutritional protein ingredient.

“Sonac Australia in Maryborough (Vic) collects blood from healthy pigs which are approved as being fit for human consumption and are processed in Australian based slaughterhouses being under the supervision of veterinarian authorities.

“The plasma is spray dried: a process that is known to result in a microbiologically safe product (all end products are monitored for Salmonella).

“In the process a CCP has been defined on the outlet temperature of the spray drier (min. 80 degrees C).

“PED virus is a single stranded RNA corona virus that is sensitive to heat, meaning that it will be inactivated rapidly as a result of moderate heating processes.

“Scientific evidence from literature and recent experiments conducted by the North American Spray Dried Blood and Plasma Producers (NASDBPP), show that the spray drying process reduces the virus activity of an intentionally introduced virus to undetectable levels.

“The process is fully closed and w

“Based on end product analysis

performed by external scientific laboratories

we can conclude that there is no PED virus present in our Australian porcine blood products”

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NEWS

Rabobank report on supply and demand in the pork industry

complies with strict biosecurity prerequisites preventing the risk of cross contamination.

“Literature and recent experiments performed by the NASDBPP show PEDv inactivation after normal storage conditions: therefore, storage of spray dried plasma further secures the safety of the product.

“The Australian plasma production plant of Sonac is compliant with Australian Regulation Standard AS 5009:2007 and is PrimeSafe and Australian Renderers Association certified.

“Currently there are no scientific reports that the PED virus disease is present in Australia.

“Based on end product analysis performed by external scientific laboratories we can conclude that there is no PED virus present in our Australian porcine blood products.

“In conclusion, the collection and manufacturing processes as described in this statement provide spray dried porcine plasma products that are regarded as safe feed ingredients particularly with respect to PED virus,” Mr Derks’ statement read.

PEDv is harmless to humans but is killing up to 100% of piglets on affected pig farms in the US.

Nobody knows how the highly infectious virus spread to the United States from China, and how it then spread to Mexico and Canada.

The controversy surrounding the use of porcine plasma may, sadly, in a highly competitive market for feed additives, have been further stirred up by the very success of the product.

Any product that can help to reduce dependence on antibiotics will certainly attract both consumer and potentially retailer appeal: porcine spray dried plasma appears to offer such potential.

Certainly Mal Mottram from Feedworks has firm views on this aspect of the debate on porcine spray dried plasma.

“We’ve got to let emotion settle down but it’s hard when it’s fuelled not by science.

“Sometimes commercial interest becomes involved and as a result misinformation gets circulated that has no bearing on the local situation. Hopefully the dossier of scienctific

evidence, both locally, and from around the world will allow local pig producers to engage or continue to use this technology for their own direct benefit,” he said

“Science will win most of the time however the damage caused in between may mean the industry loses a local manufacturer that supplies them with a great product that can be critical where ABGP’s have become less effective and more costly than in the past.

“The flip side is that the suppliers of blood used to manufacture spray dried porcine plasma derive revenue that could also be lost.

“Those suppliers are local pig producers.

“My last comment is that if the rationale is to keep PEDv out of Australia it has nothing to do with the manufacturing of porcine plasma locally.

“We don’t have PEDv, so the argument should be quarantine/government focused and that’s where those concerned should direct their industry leaders to spend time and attention,” Mal concluded.

v

Rabobank has published a new report on the global pork industry, looking at issues of supply, demand and pricing in key markets worldwide, particularly the issue of sourcing for markets affected by porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDv).

In the report, Rabobank’s Food & Agribusiness Research team says the global pork market is moving into record territory in Q3.

Especially in the exporting countries impacted by PEDv, hog and pork prices will continue to break records in the remainder of Q3 and into Q4. Those record prices will support positive price developments for hogs and pork across the globe, with prices further supported by high beef and poultry prices. However, in the European Union (EU) and China, markets will improve seasonally but will not reach the highs experienced in other countries.

“In the US, Mexico, Japan, and South Korea – the countries that have been affected by PEDv – the key question will be, ‘Where to source pork?’,” said Rabobank analyst Albert Vernooij. “In those countries the decline in supply, along with declining feed

costs, are expected to push farmers’ profitability into record territories. In contrast, processors’ margins will be pressured due to the strong competition for hogs.”

While the US is mitigating the effects of PEDv on supply and prices with rising hog weights (recently up nearly 5% over last year), the increasing scarcity of pork globally is pushing import prices up, impacting Mexico, South Korea and Japan in particular.

In Mexico, pork meat prices have increased around 25% year-over-year and have the potential to increase another 5%. Japan is also feeling a significant impact, as imports are relatively expensive compared to other importing countries due to the low value of the yen.

For China, the prospects are turning positive, with hog prices forecast to recover after a very difficult first half of 2014. Chinese pork prices are expected to stay at the current low level through most of Q3, 2014.

However, prices will then likely rebound, driven by the seasonal uplift in demand and lower supply after the sow culling of the last months. This

will be supported by the limited global supply, which will increase competition for imports and support higher prices. The key challenge for hog farmers to recover part of their losses is to limit herd expansion. Many smaller farmers will face shakeouts in 2014, which will advance market consolidation.

As the only region with enough pork available at reasonable prices, the EU has positive prospects for exports to Asia and the US.

However, this will not be sufficient to totally compensate for the lower exports to central and eastern European countries. The Russian import ban remains a deciding factor for price levels. In addition, the importance of exports to central and eastern European countries for the total carcass valuation, in combination with the high value of the euro, will limit the seasonal increase of EU pork prices. However, if pork trade between EU and Russia partially or totally reopens, that would give a positive boost to EU pork prices.

“With PEDv continuing to impact supply into 2015, prospects for the global pork industry remain positive,” concluded Vernooij.

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A different approach to pig farming

G runting, a large black and white

sow is coming to greet her visitors. She is robust,with thick legs, round full teats – and has what looks like some sand and feed on her back. “Hi pig!” yells Benji Anderson, 31. “This is QueenElizabeth. She must be around five or six years old. She’ll be having a litter in a couple of days.”

In a hut just behind her lies her temporal ‘neighbour’, called Penny – she’s of about the same age and has just given birth to a litter of five piglets.

“Not too many, I know,” I know Anderson says.

“In the other pen there are sows with 12 live born piglets per litter. We used a young boar this time – perhaps that’s why.”

Penny prefers to stay close to her hut – and why come out? The straw is comfortable, the piglets are still young and above all, temperatures are just above freezing. Queen Elizabeth and Penny are two of nine sows at this small outdoor pork production farm in Madison County, about 25 miles north of Athens, GA, United States.

Helped by a favourable climate in this southern state, some four years ago, Anderson decided to get his hands on a 48 acre (19 ha) farm to keep his pigs outdoors, all year long.

“We don’t get a lot of snow here, perhaps two or three days a year. And besides, the pigs can deal with the cold pretty well,” Anderson says.

By VINCENT TER BEEK

For a moment, forget about conversion rates, daily gain or phase feeding. For Benji Anderson, numbers are not the only thing to consider – ask him about each individual pig and he points to its grandmother and offspring.

He is not the only one who has taken a different approach when growing pigs. With consumers in the US becoming increasingly conscious of issues like the environment, animal welfare or both, concepts like organic, outdoor or locally produced have gradually acquired a small yet consistent market share, especially in larger cities.

Claiming they like to ‘know their farmers’, it is restaurants in nearby university town Athens and the Atlanta metropolis which happily use Anderson’s pork. He personally brings his pigs to the slaughterhouse, picks them up a couple of days later, stores the cuts in large freezers on farm and even delivers the desired cuts.

His pork has slightly more fat – for that he uses crossbreeds of Berkshire, Duroc and some have a touch of

The newly weaned piglets are kept in a separate pen for about one week before joining the other grow-finishers.

PED virus has been a concern for many in the conventional US pig industry. Not so much for Benji Anderson, owner of remotely located Anderson Farms in Georgia. He is proud of his pigs roaming in the fields. His customers are local ‘green’ restaurants.

9

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1. Sow Penny prefers to stay indoors with her litter of five piglets. 2. The grow-finishers together share one big feeder.

1

2

Tamworth too, aiming for optimal tenderness. He receives $3 per pound of dressed meat, where conventional pig farmers usually have to make do with prices which are substantially lower. It is just sufficient to keep him going.

Anderson decided to go for outdoor pork about four years ago, on personal grounds. He says, “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an activist – hats off to these people working on conventional farms. I’ve done it too – and it just wasn’t appealing to me.”

Anderson says he does not like working in an environment with the smell of faeces adding, “And I don’t want the animals to lie in their own filth either. When I keep my pigs outdoors, I’m happy to be there.”

Being a part-time carpenter, he admits to be still fine tuning the right overall management formula for his farm. Until about 18 months ago, he had about 20 sows and sold all pigs through a contractor at auction.

When this contact ended, finding clients became harder – hence he scaled down to the current nine and was fortunate enough to establish contacts with interested local restaurants, amongst others by presenting himself well on the Web.

He brings about 100 pigs per year to the slaughterhouse and he hopes to build on this, being in a process to acquire a loan for further expansion. One other development is the recent addition of a herd of goats – also for their meat.

The pigs are divided into four pastures – two are occupied by lactating sows with some huts, one is for several gestating sows and a boar and the grow-finishers share a large pasture.

Rotating is crucial as the pigs usually root in the grounds, which subsequently needs some time to recover. Pelleted feed is being trucked in from a local feed company, whereas ground water is pumped up from below, after which it is divided to the different zones.

The young piglets are weaned at about six weeks – and this usually happens in phases. The piglets are taken away when they are ready for it. They then go to a grow-finisher section in a pen on another side of the hill. Anderson says, “After weaning, the piglets only want one thing – they want to get back to their mother. So when we put them so far away, they will not hear each other.”

The grow-finisher area is a wide undulating field flanked with grass, herbs and even trees. In total, about 60 larger finishers and smaller growers all share the same area and same troughs – and the animals run around in a cloud

of dust when Benji Anderson appears.Only the just-weaned pigs are kept

apart in a round fenced area. Anderson says: “They will stay here for about a week. Then they are strong and large enough to go in between the other pigs without being trampled. Besides, the very young ones sometimes tend to run off initially.”

He notes that the just-weaned piglets and the larger finishers usually appear to like each other. There is mutual interest from both sides of the fence.

The piglets hardly ever suffer from a strong weaning dip, Anderson says. “Since they are weaned at six weeks, their digestive system can deal with the feed. They have started to become interested in their mother’s feed as from day 10 or so – and will also eat from her feed. Since we feed one type of feed on the whole farm, they will know and do well on that.”

The pigs also eat what they find in the field – grass, oats, acorn, hickory nuts, roots and even snakes. The

feeding trough in the grow-finisher area is round, and comes with flaps, which the pigs themselves can push open with their snouts, and eat as much as they like. The flaps are to guard off the feed against rodents – but also from the rain, birds and deer.

Anderson’s farm is not ‘organic’ as getting the certification process requires a long procedure. He does aim to keep his pigs free from antimicrobials. He would, however, not hesitate to use these if the need arises. He says, “Of course, I’m not going to let a sick animal suffer or die if I can help it.”

If an animal receives antibiotics, it is sold at auction. Keeping his herd closed, Anderson has succeeded in keeping infectious diseases out of his population, he says. “I’ve just got enough animals to prevent inbreeding.”

He does not particularly fear Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea (PED) virus hitting his farm either. “The farm is very remote. All farms that you see around us are 99.9% poultry farms. So whatever disease you may think of – it is not likely

11

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to get here. Besides, our pigs usually get a lot of sun. This helps, I’m told, as sunlight acts as a disinfectant.”

Back to the lactating sows. In a different hutted pasture, a couple of more are housed, at the end of their lactation phase. Some piglets have already been weaned; others will be soon.

The sows have a large wallow at their disposal – in summer, that is – during the winter it is an empty crater. Anderson points to a striped young male piglet of about five weeks. “You see that one? He is going to be a new boar soon.” He will then most probably go next door, sharing the pasture with the gestating sows. This is where the current boar is roaming as well. Anderson grins and says, “His name is King Richard.”

Local, fair, careOne of Anderson’s customers is Heirloom Café & Fresh Market, a one-off restaurant based in Athens which is full of unique culinary facilities.

The restaurant opened in July 2011 and its philosophy revolves around key words like ‘local’, ‘fair price’ and ‘care’. The restaurant opted for outdoor pork – and did not choose ‘organic’ as this is a label which comes with substantially extra accreditation costs. Describing its philosophy, the restaurant states: “The majority of our farmers do not receive government subsidies to produce their animals or vegetables, so their end product is more expensive, but we believe that the care with which they raise their animals outweighs the cheap price of the mass marketed conventional the factory farmed meat that most stores and restaurants are selling.”

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2NEWSCelebrating the sizzle with Australian Bacon WeekTastebuds were tempted as the aroma of sizzling bacon filled the air when households and restaurants across the nation got behind Australian Bacon Week.

The week, which ran from June 22-28, was an initiative to celebrate the much-loved meat, but also draw attention to the competition that local bacon faces from imported product.

While bacon remains a key ingredient for lazy Sunday breakfasts and menu favourites like carbonara and BLTs, more than two thirds of the bacon sold in Australia is made from imported, subsidised pork.

A range of innovative products were created for Bacon Week as top chefs, craft brewers, favoured dessert bars and local restaurants got behind the initiative. Products like a bacon creation from Adriano Zumbo Patissier and Gelato Messina’s Bacon Gelato, the Rocks Brewing Company’s Bacon Beer and Eau De Vie’s Bacon Bourbon were served up throughout the week, alongside favourites like bacon and egg rolls.

Bacon, ham and other smallgoods made with Australian pork can be identified by looking for the pink PorkMark or the words ‘Product of Australia’.

Australia’s bacon was also put to the test, with this year’s Australian Bacon Awards attracting 125 entries. The entries were independently judged over two days by fleischmeister Horst Schurger, who has a Masters degree in butchering and smallgoods, and top chefs, Paul McDonald and Simon Bestly, who have broad international experience.

Pialligo Farm Smokehouse ACT took out top honours, with its Full Rasher Smoked and Dry Cured Bacon named Australia’s Best Artisan Bacon. The judges said it had a very nice appearance, a subtle sea salt flavour with a hint of brown sugar and a delicious, slightly smoky aftertaste.

In addition to the Full Rasher and Shortcut competitions, a new Nationally Available category was introduced to recognise the top Australian bacon available right across Australia.

The new category attracted positive interest from bacon producers with Bertocchi Smallgoods taking the inaugural title for its Australian Hickory Smoked Pan Size Bacon, only currently available in the deli of Coles stores.

Judges said it was a well-presented bacon with an excellent texture and a balanced taste.

And the winners are…. Australia’s Best Bacon: Pialligo Farm Smokehouse Full Rasher Smoked and Dry Cured Bacon, Pialligo Farm Smokehouse, ACT Charlie Costelloe, 0406 690 369

Nationally Available: Bertocchi Hickory Smoked Pan Size Bacon, Bertocchi Smallgoods Tony Rappone, 0408 241989

National winners: Full rasher: 1st: Pialligo Farm Smokehouse, Charlie Costelloe Pialligo ACT. 0406 690 369 2nd: Circle T Meats, Barnie Nolan Raceview QLD. 07 3288 6788 3rd: Schulte’s Meat Tavern, Peter Schulte Plainland QLD 07 5465 6592 Shortcut: 1st: Kanmantoo Bacon, Rob McInnes Kanmantoo SA. 08 8538 5097 2nd: Edwards Family Butchery, Marc Edwards Woy Woy NSW 02 4342 2372 3rd: Slade Point Meat Specialists, Steve Chapman Mackay QLD 07 4955 1009

Pialligo Farm Smokehouse Full Rasher Smoked &Dry Cured Bacon

The newest product in Pialligo Farm Smokehouse’s range is a truly artisan product. It is full of natural, sweet flavour and with no added water.

The judges described the bacon having a great lean to fat ratio, minimal to no shrinkage and excellent texture and aroma. They said the bacon had a subtle sea salt flavour with a hint of brown sugar and a delicious slightly smoky aftertaste. The company supplies shops and delis in the ACT.

Bertocchi Hickory Smoked Bacon (Pan Size)

The judging panel described the winning bacon as a well shaped, well presented product, with a gentle aroma. In particular, the bacon performed especially well against the taste criteria, with judges describing the product as having a nice balance of smokiness and salt. Its minimal shrinkage after cooking was also commended.

Bertocchi Smallgoods was established in 1972 in Melbourne and is now one of Australia’s leading smallgoods manufacturers.

Charlie Costello and Peter Curry from Pialligo Farm Smokehouse

13

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14

NEWSTrade agreements with Korea offer some optimism for the Australian pig industry but not so with JapanMuch trumpeted trade agreements with Japan and also South Korea offer some better prospects for Australian pig meat exporters, but also disappointments, particularly in respect of the Japanese trade negotiations.

The conclusion of negotiations on the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement (JAEPA) was announced in Tokyo on April 7, 2014 by Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Prime Minister Abbott and Prime Minister Abe signed the agreement on July 8, 2014 in Canberra.

Australia’s Minister for Trade and Investment, Andrew Robb and his Korean counterpart, Trade Minister Yoon, concluded negotiations on the Australia-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KAFTA) in early December 2013.

The legally verified text of the agreement was initialed by Chief Negotiators on February 10, 2014 and released to the public on February 17, 2014. The agreement was signed on April 8, 2014 during a ceremony in Seoul, South Korea.

A key interest for Japan in entering into any agreement that allowed greater access to Japan’s lucrative market for food and feed products, is the availability of our vast GSG reserves as a stop gap energy supply as that country seeks an alternative to its disaster ridden nuclear power generation sector, which prior to the 2011 Fukushima incident was supplying over a quarter of that nation’s energy needs.

The trade agreement with Japan, though creating gains for the dairy, beef and wine industries, was not as beneficial for our pig farmers.

Sam Lawrence, Senior Policy Analyst at APL, explained the ins and outs of recent trade deals with Japan and South Korea.

“Australia’s current exports to Japan face a minimal ad valorem tariffs of 4.3% on product valued at more than ¥524/kg. However, the non ad valorem duties average above ¥400 /kg on imported pork product, representing the single most prohibitive barrier to trade.

“Exports to Japan were 575 tonnes in the 2012-13 FY,” Mr Lawrence explained.

“The outcome of JAEPA is to impose a quota of 5600 tonnes growing

to 14000 tonnes over five years, with the ad valorem tariffs being cut by 50%,” he added.

On specific aspects of the agreement, APL’s view is that the imposition of a quota, on principle, is unwelcome, and that a tariff reduction of 50%, from a base of 4% represents little commercial value,” he said.

“Further, JAEPA does nothing to address the most prohibitive barrier to trade which are the excessive levies and surcharges imposed, averaging above ¥400/kg.

“This deal does not represent one of additional commercial value to the pork industry and is a missed opportunity to build a valuable export market, as pork exports to Japan remain prohibitive due to the continued high levies and surcharges,” Mr Lawrence explained.

“The trade deal with South Korea, however did offer gains for the Australian pork industry.

“The outcome was positive for pork, with the potential for Korea to develop into a market akin to Singapore, i.e one-flight fresh/chilled high-value product,” Mr Lawrence revealed.

“While we didn’t achieve tariff elimination across all lines, our trade is concentrated in the (0203299000) ‘Frozen Other’ category, of which there were 533 tonnes in trade in 2012, worth US$599,000.

“This line achieved full tariff liberalisation from the existing 25% over five years.

“The principle that some lines were

excluded from liberalisation (frozen carcasses, half carcasses; frozen hams, shoulders and cuts thereof, with bone in, and frozen streaky pork) is not welcome, however the reality is our most valuable line, ‘Frozen Other’ was liberalised, and the potential for fresh/chilled tariff-free trade now exists,” he explained.

Specific details supplied to Pork Journal by APL are that Australian pork achieved full tariff liberalisation on all fresh/chilled tariff lines over 0-5 years.

The tariffs of 22.5% on fresh/chilled lines to be eliminated from 22.5% over a number of years, with carcases phased down to 0 over 5 years.

Frozen lines are excluded, and smoked/salted/dried pork phased out elimination from 30% and 25% over five years.

Preserved bellies to be tariff eliminated from 30% over five years and offal – tariffs eliminated from 25% over five years.

APL welcomes the conclusion of the FTA with Korea, and the additional liberalisation achieved on pork lines, but is disappointed at the exclusion of frozen lines from the FTA.

APL will be looking to ensure the liberalisation of frozen lines with Korea under the Trans Pacific Trade Partnership (TPP), should Korea join.

According to the Commonwealth Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) is one possible pathway toward realising the vision of a free trade area of the Asia-Pacific.

“The Asia-Pacific region is a key driver of global economic growth; close to half of all global trade, and around 70% of Australia's trade flows through the region.

“There are currently 12 parties negotiating the TPP, five of which are among Australia's top 10 trading partners (Japan – 2, United States – 3, Singapore – 5, New Zealand – 7, Malaysia – 9). Australia's participation in the TPP negotiations will further strengthen our trade relationship with these key trading partners.

“Australia supports the expansion of TPP membership over time to other economies in the Asia-Pacific region. Australia is a dynamic and open trading economy.

“Conclusion of the TPP would open new trade and investment

opportunities for Australia in the Asia-Pacific region, further integrate our economy

in this fast growing region and promote

and facilitate regional supply chains”

15

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“Australia’s trade in goods and services reached a new high in 2013. Two-way trade grew by 3.5% to $646.1 billion in 2013, up from $624 billion in 2012. Australia's international trade links have resulted in strong economic growth, even through a turbulent global economic environment.

“Our pursuit of trade liberalisation, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, will continue to ensure our economic prosperity into the future.”

Conclusion of the TPP would open new trade and investment opportunities for Australia in the Asia-Pacific region, further integrate our economy in this fast growing region, and promote and facilitate regional supply chains.

By setting commonly agreed rules and promoting transparency of new laws and regulations, the agreement will provide certainty for businesses and reduce costs and red tape for Australian exporters, service suppliers and investors.

Australia became part of the TPP negotiations in 2008 and key talks amongst potential participants were held in Melbourne 2010.

APL’s Sam Lawrence is optimistic that the TPP, when fully implemented, may have better outcomes for pork exports to Japan and certainly Korea.

US attitude to Japanese policy on Gate Price

On August 14, 2014 Dr Howard Hill, President of the US National Pork Producers Association, wrote to the US Secretary for Agriculture Thomas Vilsack and US Trade Representitive Ambassador Michael Froman. He didn’t pull any punches when it came to the Japanese policy on Gate Price for pork imports with accusations of fraud, systemic criminal activity, creating overpricing for consumers, job losses to their processing industry and even transgressions against their constitution.

“I am writing to you about Japan’s complex tariff system for pork imports, commonly referred to as the ‘Gate Price’.

“As you know, the US pork industry’s highest priority in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations is the elimination of the Gate Price as well as the elimination of all Japanese import duties on US pork.

“Pork producers’ support for a final TPP Agreement is conditioned on the elimination of all tariff and non tariff barriers to US pork exports in each of the TPP nations, including the elimination of the Gate Price in Japan.

“The elimination all all protection on pork in Japan is the most important commercial issue ever to face US pork producers.

“While Japan’s current offer on pork, if implemented, might allow a modest increase in pork exports it would rob the US industry of hundreds of millions of dollars in annual pork exports to Japan and would stymie the creation of thousands of US jobs that the industry would realize if the Gate Price and tariffs on pork were eliminated.

“Further the dissposition of this issue will impact on our producers for the next 25 years.

“The agreement reached between the No. 1 and No. 3 economies in the world – the two economic cornerstones or the TPP – will either enhance or significantly diminish the value of all future free trade agreements for our producers.

“There are compelling factors in Japan that weigh strongly in favour of abolishing the Gate Price.

“Firstly, there is the long history of fraud and criminal activity surrounding the Gate Price – with some Japanese importers inflating invoices to process above the Gate Price to minimise import duties – that has been well documented in the Japanese press.

16

NEWS“Additionally, sources in Japan

have informed us there is widespread opposition within Japanese government ministries to the continued operation of the Gate Price.

Only the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) staunchly supports the continued operation of the Gate Price.

“We find it odd – to say the least – that anyone in the Japanese government would defend a system that generates fraud and criminal behavior.

“More than 20 years of fraudulent activity demonstrates that the system is unworkable.

“Secondly, consumer groups in Japan oppose the Gate Price because of the inflationary impact it has on already high Japanese food prices.

“Japan maintains some of yhe highest agricultural tariffs in the world to protect its agricultural sector, despite its heavy dependence on food imports to feed its population.

“As a result Japanese consumers face some of the highest food prices in the world.

“High food prices have been exacerbated in recent years by a significant weakening of the yen.

“With respect to pork, an Iowa State University study found that the price of pork carcasses in Japan was 30 to 40% higher than the delivered price of

w

Five years’ lobbying pays off for VFF Pig Group

“Japan regards the World Trade Organisation’s “Marrakech Agreement,” which establishes the existing bodies of WTO rules, as a treaty.

“The plantiffs argue that the Gate Price is in violation of provisions of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture, which prohibit the use of variable import levies.

“The plantiffs further argue that,because the Gate Price violates Japanese treaty obligations contained in the Marraksh Agreement, iot violates Japan’s constitution.

“In sum, Japan’s gate price generates fraud and criminal activity: it discriminates against Japanese consumers by putting upward pressure on food prices: it threatens Japanes jobs by forcing the meat processing sector to look at other Asian nations as a production platform, and it is under constitutional challenge.

“We appreciate the efforts you are making as part of the TPP negotiations to fully open the Japanese market to US pork products.

“We hope the information in this letter will be helpful to you in achieving that goal.

“We stand ready to work with you in whatever way possible to achieve the elimination of the Gate Price, as well as all Japanese import duties on US pork,” the letter concluded.

equivalent US chilled pork.“Moreover, the Gate Price has

forced the Japanese pork processing industry to use expensive cuts, such as loins, to make sausages and other processed items, which further inflate consumer prices.

“These problems have been compounded by a recent increase in Japan’s consumption tax from 5 to 8%.

“Thirdly, Japan is losing jobs as a result of the Gate Price: Japanese pork processors are beginning to move off-shore because the Gate Price deprives them of the competitively priced, high quality imported pork they need to remain competitive.

“For example, in March 2009, Ito Ham established in Thailand a joint venture company to produce sausages.

“In March 2012, Marudai Foods completed the production of a ham and sausage production factory in Thailand.

“This trend can be expected to accelerate if Japan does not abolish the Gate Price in the TPP.

“Fourthly, there is a constitutional challenge to the Gate Price: Japanese plaintiffs in the case, one of them a former high ranking government official, are challenging the legality of the Gate Price under the Japanese Constitution, which requires that obligations contained in treaties be given legal precedence over domestic laws.

Almost five years of lobbying has paid off for the Victorian Farmers Federation Pig Group after it brokered a three-year deal with the State Government to revive the Bendigo Pig Health Research Unit.

VFF Pig Group President John Bourke said he was delighted that the State Government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding on lifting the staffing levels at the Unit from the current 4.4 (Full Time Equivalent) staff to 10 within three years and investing $120,000 to fund repairs to the vaccine unit.

“It’s great to see the State Government has backed the pig industry and we thank Agriculture Minister Peter Walsh for his efforts in getting this across the line.”

The Unit, which is to be re-named the Pig Specialist Centre, leads the nation in developing and producing pig vaccines, diagnostic services and specialist industry training.

Mr Bourke announced the revival of

the unit during his president’s speech to at the VFF Pig Group’s Annual Meeting in Shepparton on July 10.

“It’s a triumph for the Victorian pig industry and gives us the opportunity to set the standard in pig health and research both nationally and internationally,” he said.

“This is the result of more than five years of lobbying government to ensure better and more transparent use of our $250,000 plus contribution to the unit, via the Swine Compensation Fund.”

Mr Bourke sits on the Swine Industry Projects Advisory Committee (SIPAC), which oversees the fund and signed the three-year agreement with the State Government’s Department of Primary Industries.

“The MoU stipulates the services the Pig Specialist Centre will deliver, based on key milestones, on increasing in staff numbers and reporting on the progress of the unit to industry,” he said.

“The revival of the Unit is due in

large part to the efforts of VFF member Dr Pat Mitchell, veterinarian Dr Hugo Dunlop and producer Ian Connaughton.

“Without their input, passion and determination we could not have reached this significant milestone,” Mr Bourke said.

VFF Pig Group President John Bourke

17

NEWS

PrimegroAd:PrimegroAd 18/02/14 1:51 PM Page 1

Managing animal well being – a preliminary study of farmers

A recent article in the Australian Veterinary Journal* describes the results of a survey of pig farmers in Victoria involving identification and management of sick, injured and heat stressed pigs.

The farmers surveyed used behavioural changes in the animals under their care, including vocalisation, change in gait, lethargy/listlessness and self-isolation to detect those in pain.

Treatment records were used commonly to ensure pigs were not sold while on drug withholds and to monitor the recovery of compromised pigs.

Anti-inflamatory medications were considered a useful adjunct to aid in the recovery of pigs.

The article authors state that “the results of this study indicate the farmers consider animal welfare of high importance.

There are a number of injectable anti-inflamatory medications on the market that are registered to treat pigs. These can be broadly classed as non-steroidal (eg. flunixin, meloxicam, tolfenamic acid) and steroidal (cortisone-based).

Both are effective in relieving the clinical signs of inflamation (pain, swelling and fever) and are a useful adjunct to treating such conditions as lameness and mastitus/udder oedema.

There are some studies that report anti-inflamatries aid in the recovery of acute respiratory disease in pigs, when used in combination with effective antimicrobials.

Steroid anti-inflamatries may have immune-suppressive effects so should only be used when bacterial infections are controlled.

Anti-inflammatries that are not registered for use in pigs but are registered in other food producing animal species (eg. ketoprofen) may only be used to treat pigs’ off-label under veterinary direction if this prectice is allowed under relevant state legislation.

Products that are not registered for use in food-producing animals (eg. aspirin, phenylbutazone) should not be used to treat pigs in any circumstances, as there will be no maxlmum residue limits and corresponding withhold periods determined for these medications.

Remember that other non-medication therapies, such as placing lame sows on straw and providing a heat lamp for sick weaners will provide additional support to aid in the recovery process.

*Wilson et al., Aust. Vet.Journal. 92 (6): 206-212. This article was reproduced from PigBytes Newsletter.

By TRISH HOLYOAKE

If you would like to advertise in Pork Journal Magazine, please contact Pete

Bedwell on 0419 235 288 or (02) 4323 0005. You can visit the website to view the latest

issues and see the advertising rates. Go to: www.primarymedia.com.au

18

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Improving market access for Australian agriculturePriority must be given to policy and regulatory settings that improve market access for Australian exporters, with a heightened focus on the negotiation of Free Trade Agreements and building business-to-business and government-to-government working relationships, according the a new report by global agribusiness specialist Rabobank.

Further leveraging Australia’s world class production and supply chain systems is also of utmost importance.

Releasing the research report, ‘Competitive Challenges – Getting Australia on the global market access ‘VIP’ list’ – Rabobank Animal Proteins Analyst Matt Costello said improving market access is critical for the future growth and success of Australian agriculture, given the importance and reliance on exports across all sectors.

“Since being elected in 2013, the Australian government has made improving market access a major priority and after negotiating the Free Trade Agreement with Japan and Korea,

China is now the focus, and with future trade growth expected to come from Asia and the Middle East, urgency should be placed on improving access to these markets too,” Mr Costello said.

“Improving market access through FTA’s is only one half of the equation though – political and regulatory risks remain in the form of technical trade barriers (TTB), which are often high for agriculture and can be difficult to resolve.

“Technical trade barriers are also less transparent than tariff barriers and can have a greater impact on trade flows.”

The successful negotiation of FTA’s with emerging markets should be a “stepping stone” to building and improving relationships in order to prevent and address TTB’s as having strong relationships on the ground in the market, is vital, Mr Costello stressed.

“There is clearly a need for greater collaboration between all facets of agriculture, domestically within industries, cross-sectorally and with the government,” he said.

“A coordinated and strategic approach to formal negotiations as well as breaking down TTB’s are critical for the advancement of Australian agriculture.”

The report also looked at Australia’s need to negotiate a complete reduction in tariffs like New Zealand has with China, in order for Australia’s FTA with the Chinese to be considered a success, Rabobank’s report warns.

“As China is Australia’s largest agricultural export market, it is imperative an agreement is reached quickly, tariffs are completely phased out, and more resources are invested to smooth the developing trade and limit the impact of TTB’s,” Mr Costello said.

“As it stands, China is close to removing all tariffs on most of New Zealand’s key commodities, particularly ones that directly compete with Australia which will make New Zealand’s exports more competitive relative to ours – the Australian government needs to act now to protect our position.”

While it is difficult to quantify just how costly non-tariff barriers are, they are often more complex and less transparent and therefore quite difficult to overcome, Mr Costello said.

Examples of TTB’s include product and processing certification, bio-security requirements, quarantine protocols, labelling and inspection requirements, and import licensing requirements.

“Two trends that are clear with the gradual reduction in trade barriers over time and the likelihood of further reductions in the future, the use of TTB’s is increasing particularly in emerging markets,” Mr Costello said.

“It is vital that Australian has resources invested on the ground, with strong relationships in the market to prevent and overcome delays as soon as possible.”

Despite these challenges, the Rabobank report highlights that among these trade barriers there are opportunities for Australia to share its knowledge, expertise and product that overseas importers and indeed consumers demand.

“By leveraging our first-class reputation for food safety, supply chain management and market knowledge, Australian exporter have the ability to gain access into markets – particularly emerging markets where a collaborative and strong relationship and expertise is required,” Mr Costello said.

“A continuing commitment to supply chain integrity and product quality remains the key differentiator supporting trade and global market access for Australian food and agricultural products which can give us the upper hand on our competitors such as Brazil, the US and India, who have experienced challenges with disease status and traceability concerns.”

19

PRODUCT NEWSZagro – supporting traceable and sustainable nutritionZagro is a leading manufacturer and distributor of animal health, crop care and public health products in the Asia Pacific. Starting off as a division under the prestigious Swiss-based Zuellig Group in 1953, the company was brought to public on the Singapore Stock Exchange in 1996.

“Over the years Zagro has proven to be one of the leading industry players catering to the needs of farmers and offering the most innovative and value for money agrisolutions all year round,” said Karen Wee, Regional Manager, Sales and Technical, Animal Health.

“Zagro’s Animal Health division has dictated and expedited the need for improved quality and productivity,” she said.

“Our business caters to the needs and healthcare of livestock, poultry and aquatic animals. It manufactures and distributes a wide range of nutrition and protection products to ensure that these animals are protected and given the essential nutrition for growth.

“The work flow, health environment and safety of our production facilities are continually studied and enhanced as all these inevitably contribute to higher productivity.

“As a premix manufacturer, Zagro caters specifically to the animals’ needs with customised formulations developed by a team of dedicated veterinarians and animal nutritionists. The wide range of Zagromix and Anavite vitamin and mineral premixes are specifically designed to meet the requirements of different species of animals. Each formula is carefully formulated to achieve animals’ optimum growth, reproduction and production performance.

“Apart from the wide product range of Zagromix and Anavite premixes, Zagro also offers customised formulations to address the specific needs of its clients.

“It allows clients to adjust the premixes according to their animals’ specific requirements and to their target performance instead of adding their specific needs on their own.

“The strength of Zagro vitamin and mineral premixes is that these are all manufactured under stringent quality assurance program together with good manufacturing practices.

“The manufacturing plant uses a Forberg fluidized zone mixing system that ensure homogeneity of premixes,

auto dosing micro bins and modern and computerized facilities by Buhler that assures better mixing efficiency.

“All raw materials are obtained from pre-approved suppliers and have gone through quality analysis before being used in production. All raw materials are also well stored as per each advised regulated-storage conditions.

“Furthermore, stringent quality assurance is carried out daily by a team of laboratory specialists from Pacific Lab Services, the laboratory arm of Zagro which performs a comprehensive range of tests for different needs.

“Zagro quality control adheres to standards from raw materials to production process to finished products until goods delivery. This guarantees that each premix nutritional value can be traced and be sustainable, thus, ensuring the written requirements to reach the farm as available nutrients for the animals.

“Being dedicated to maintaining the highest level of productivity and

services, our premixes production facilities have been awarded the following certifications: ISO 9001 and ISO 22000 (by UKAS) inclusive of HACCP Certification and in conformance to GMP requirement, and FAMI-QS Code of Practice for Feed Additives and Premixture Operations. These achievements demonstrate our commitment to meeting our customers ever growing demand for the highest level of product and service quality.

“Zagro sees itself as being on its way to building long-term solutions to an ever increasing demand for higher quality products at affordable prices. Furthermore it expects to leave a mark of excellence in the eyes of its customers.

“The company remains steadfast and faithful to its philosophy of delivering consistent agrisolutions to farmers all over the world. Simply put, total customer satisfaction at its best!” Ms Wee concluded.

Visit www.zagro.com for details.

20

PRODUCT NEWSAn answer to high energy bills and efficient waste utilizationAustralia may be sitting on top of some of the world’s greatest natural gas reserves, but paradoxically we may be paying some of the highest energy prices in the developed world while we export our natural assets to willing markets in Asia and elsewhere.

The ABC, on its Radio National Program, Background Briefing, explained the situaltion:- here’s the link: www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/backgroundbriefing/coal-seam-gas-exports-drive-up-energy-bills/5638226

While the current government seem to have little interest in helping Australian industry to acquire its own cheap energy sources, intensive livestock industries like pork production have access to plentifull supplies of waste that can be converted to energy through the use of modern co-generation and tri-generation technology.

These technologies have been in use for years in both Europe and the US but are only now becoming of serious interest to Australian producers.

One of the impediments to Australian pig farms being able to access their own affordable power generation systems has been the cost of large scale units that are typical of those used on farming enterprises overseas.

Sydney based company Simons Green Energy, is a family owned company with long experience in alternative energy systems and their applications.

“The Simons company is a leader in clean and efficient water heating and cooling, steam and distributed energy equipment in Australia. We provide solutions to our customers’ needs with outstanding products, technology and service quality which makes a meaningful contribution to improving the planet and our customers ‘bottom lines’,” an intro on their website states. (simonsgreenenergy.com.au/turnkey-renewable-energy-solutions/waste-heat-generators/)

Now Simons has introduced a small scale YANMAR 25Kw cogeneration unit into its product range and marketing manager Toni Symons explained to Pork Journal the advantages and possible applications of this new addition to the range.

“Effluent and other agriculture waste streams pose both a challenge and an

opportunity for pork producers as the industry focuses on reducing its’ carbon footprint and reducing costs,” Toni said.

“On-site electricity generation with waste heat recovery (combined heat & power, or CHP) can significantly improve energy efficiency while reducing the environmental impacts of production.

“Yanmar 25 kW Micro CHP or Cogeneration Unit generates electricity and heat from biogas utilising a lean-burn Miller cycle engine with waste heat recovery. The unit is housed in an acoustically attenuated enclosure suitable for all-weather conditions.

“The system includes remote monitoring and diagnostics for optimal performance. The Yanmar 25 kW can be “daisy-chained” for increased output and will load follow to suit any sites instantaneous electricity demand.

“On-site Micro CHP can have an energy efficiency of up to 85% when all the heat is utilised.”

Key Benefits of Yanmar 25 kW Micro Cogeneration: • Turns naturally occurring methane from effluent into usable energy • Produces renewable electricity for site consumption* Produces renewable heat ideal for farrowing and weaner sheds or other thermal requirements• Reduces overall energy and production costs • Remote monitoring and diagnostics• 10,000 running hours between scheduled maintenance with up to 15 year project life

“Simons Green Energy (SGE) designs, installs and maintains combined heat & power energy- systems throughout Australia,” said Toni Simons.

“Our complete energy solutions for industry assist to achieve greater energy efficiency, lower operating costs along with significant environmental benefits.

“Backed by world leading manufacturers of sustainable and renewable energy equipment, Simons’ has installed cogeneration and trigeneration energy systems throughout Australia in various applications.

“Additionally, The Simons Group has more than 80 years of continuous history providing thermal energy solutions including electrical and gas fired boilers, waste heat steam generators and more.

“It has offices in Sydney and Melbourne and a network of distributors around Australia.”

Kemin Europa NV appoints Mathieu Cortyl as Commercial DirectorKemin Europa NV has announced the appointment of Mathieu Cortyl as a new Commercial Diector.

Mr Cortyl obtained his Master Degree in General Agriculture with a specialisation in animal nutrition in 1989.

His first assignment was in a feed additives company in Switzerland, where he worked as a nutritionist in charge of technical matters.

He then joined one of the major French feed mills and was responsible for their swine operations.

Since 2001, when he moved to

Singapore, he has been dealing with technical, marketing, and sales issues in the feed additives sector, in the Asia and Pacific regions.

“The two Commercial Directors, Mr Cortyl and Dr Robert Iniarski, will work closely together to realise the ambitious growth plans of the company in the EMEA region”, said Dr John Springate, President Kemin Europa NV.

21

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A report has emerged stating that Australian veterinary scientists are on the lookout for an outbreak of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea virus (PEDv) in the country.

PEDv has thus far killed millions of piglets in the United States, across 23 states and has also spread to Canada and Mexico.

Currently, scientists at the CSIRO's Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) in Geelong are studying the virus.

Dr James Watson, CSIRO veterinary investigation leader has said, “The first

thing that we've done, seeing what's happened in the US, is to make sure that we have tests available that allow us to very rapidly detect the virus, so that if we are asked to exclude the virus in a disease situation we can do that as rapidly as possible, or, in the unfortunate circumstance where it arrives, to allow control measures to be introduced as soon as possible.”

“Despite Australia's strict biosecurity regimes, there are concerns the PED virus could make it here,” Dr Watson said on an ABC Rural report.

Dr Watson also stated that in the

likelihood that the virus is present in the country, the animal health laboratory is in a position to quickly identify PEDv.

Recently DuPont released a statement saying that Virkon S has been tested against PEDv, and it passed at a 1:600 dilution.

The main concern for PEDv transmission/spread has been focussed around swine transport, but DuPont is also stressing the importance of best practice procedures for both terminal and continuous biosecurity programs to help in the fight against the spread of this disease.

Leading farm biosecurity company, Neogen can now offer swine producers in the United States an approved disinfectant for PEDV – Virkon S.

Having been independently tested for ‘Virucidal Efficacy of a Disinfectant for Use on Inanimate Environmental Surfaces against Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV)’ the Virkon S testing protocol was performed under strict EPA test criteria.

Virkon S is proven to be effective against PEDV at a dilution rate of 1:600, in the presence of high organic content (5%) and at low temperatures (down to 5˚C) reflecting its proven performance and suitability for real world ‘on farm’ conditions.

Dr Gabriel F Pardo, Regional Business & Market Manager for the Americas at DuPont explained, “During the recent PEDV outbreaks, Neogen has been offering swine producers timely advice on the clinical symptoms and treatment of PEDV, and advising on enhanced biosecurity protocols across the whole range of possible infection vectors, including transport vehicles, housing facilities and personnel.

“We are now delighted to be able to confirm that Virkon S has been independently proven effective against PEDV, making it the disinfectant of choice for swine housing, surfaces, equipment and footwear.

“It is especially effective in combating the spread of disease via transport vehicles.”

Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea (PEDV) remains a serious threat to swine producers, resulting in high levels of mortality and morbidity across

North American swine herds. With no approved vaccine in the USA, veterinarians are recommending enhanced biosecurity measures and advising swine producers to urgently review and tighten their biosecurity protocols.

Regarded as one of the most potent virucidal disinfectant agents, extensive investment to assess the safety of Virkon S shows that operatives have no need for excessive personal protection during biosecurity procedures.

22

NEWS

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Pork chop a favourite choice for Coles customers

Butcher wins Apprentice of the Year

Rob Cumine, Coles Farms Manager, spoke at the PIX/AMC 2014 conference that followed Pan Pacific Pork Expo in May this year.

His paper, ‘What matters to consumers’ was delivered on May 26 in the Australian Milling Conference (AMC) keynote session.

Speaking about the influence celebrity chefs have on shoppers, Rob revealed that one of the most popular ‘impulse purchases’ in Coles’ stores in recent times was a pork chop.

“Further, this customer choice had increased after Coles advertising campaign promoting ‘sow stall free pork’.

Perhaps the most revealing slide he showed for an organization that, like it or not, is highly capable of measuring consumer sentiment, was the scale of importance attached to 11 specific issues.

Concern number one at 44% was, ‘Australian first’, number two at 33% was ‘Is it natural?’, followed by number three coming in at 29% which was

‘health options’.‘Waste food’ came in at number

four at 21% and eclipsed ‘Caring for animals’ at 17%.

Considering that the pork industry voluntarily moved towards sow stall free production and that our products fulfill the other criteria, this is a good result.

Can’t imagine too many shoppers would waste a pork chop!

Apprentice butcher, Christopher Reid, was named Apprentice of the Year at WSI’s recent Student Excellence Awards, an annual event celebrating Western Sydney Institute’s most outstanding students.

Western Sydney has pockets of unemployment in excess of 20% and the awards are a chance to spotlight the exceptional students creating opportunities for themselves and trying to change the statistic for the better.

An early school leaver, Christopher joined Kickstarter, a program for local unemployment youth, and stood out as a high achiever. His exceptional skills were confirmed when he won the NSW & ACT Meat Retailing Apprentice Competition in 2013.

Christopher has also been named Australian Meat Industry Council’s Meat Retailing Apprentice of the Year. He studied a Cert III in Meat Processing (Retail Butcher) at Nepean College.

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