Page 1 - Australian Pork Newspaper

Vol 26. No. 4 April 2022 Australian Pork Newspaper PO Box 162 Wynnum 4178 Phone (07) 3286 1833 Email ben@collins.media
Resolve and resilience tested
Point of View
by MARGO ANDRAE CEO
AS our industry con- tinues to thrive and grow from a consump- tion perspective, our resolve and resiliency is being tested from all angles.
courage additional steps in building Australians’ awareness of CoOL and helping them interpret the CoOL labelling system.
It’s been an incredibly tough start to the year, and now with the threat of a new-to-Australia emer- gency animal disease, Jap- anese encephalitis virus.
This submission ex- plored further opportuni- ties to enhance the CoOL regime and ways in which government could build on investments made by Australian pork producers to demonstrate how CoOL can be clearly and simply communicated to everyone in Australia.
As we have shared many times now, our response and planning strategy for EAD outbreaks remains a firm leading priority for Australian Pork Limited, which has been further strengthened over the past two years as African swine fever runs rampant across the globe.
with those who have suf- fered loss of human life because of JEV.
others as part of the Com- monwealth Senate Inquiry into meat definitions and other animal products, which agreed earlier this year that the current regu- latory framework for the labelling of plant-based protein products was in- adequate.
The departments’ orig- inal evaluation stated that CoOL requirements needed to meet the needs of the consumer without creating a burden for busi- ness.
Because of this dedi- cated focus, our response to JEV has been nimble and adaptable.
To those producers who are battling with the virus on farm, we’ve compiled a number of resources to support you, and will continue to work with government on additional resources as you navigate this difficult situation.
Therefore, in the interim APL has undertaken to:
Though we are in the thick of the JEV outbreak and that remains our im- mediate issue, we are ada- mant our plans must also be driven by what’s next.
• The Australian Gov- ernment develop a man- datory regulatory frame- work for the labelling of plant-based protein prod- ucts
• Look at ways to ensure ‘Made in’ claims are well understood
We made a commitment that our industry would be progressive and thought- leading in everything we do, so my reassurance to you is that dealing with JEV is part of a bigger picture – to minimise im- pacts of future EADs.
A full directory of mental health support services can be found at farmhub.org.au/mental- health
• Food Standards Aus- tralia New Zealand initiate a review of sec- tion 1.1.1—13 (4) of the FSANZ Code and recom- mends exempting its ap- plication to named meat, seafood and dairy cate- gory brands
• Ongoing monitoring of CoOL efficiency and effectiveness.
In the case of JEV how- ever, I’d like to acknow- ledge and thank those who have stepped up during this crisis to help pull us through.
As the government re- positions its priorities – such as the allocation of funding to JEV – APL continues its endeavour to reposition pork to ensure the sector is represented within these conversa- tions.
APL strongly advo- cated for these issues to be thought through and action taken where appro- priate and was pleased to see positive outcomes on each occasion.
Particularly those in- dustry representatives and sector liaison officers who have worked tirelessly from the first phone call in late February.
Overthepasttwoyears, A PL has worked closely with the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment, Animal Health Australia and other industry partners on ASF preparedness.
As 2022 continues to throw up obstacles such as workforce, bushfires, flooding and now JEV, the resiliency of our sector to respond and continue to be a sustainable supplier of quality nutritious pro- tein is to be commended.
I also acknowledge the state agricultural depart- ments and welcome the Federal Government’s commitment of $69 mil- lion to help control the spread of the disease.
This saw last year’s gov- ernment announcement of over $400 million in new funding for biosecurity graciously welcomed.
In addition, APL made a submission to the Evalua- tion of Country-of-Origin Labelling for Food dis- cussion paper released by the Department of In- dustry, Science, Energy and Resources – to en-
Above all, what gives me strength and hope looking forward is the strong position we have created for our industry over the years and the op- portunities ahead.
My thoughts and those of the wider APL team are
Proactively, APL col- laborated with many
I offer a gentle reminder during these challenging and turbulent situations to look after one another and to take advantage of the organisations and re- sources that can support you through hard times.
As a result of the in- quiry, several recommen- dations were put forward, including:
• Explore options to ac- tivate CoOL within food- service
• The ACCC develops a national information standard that defines and restricts the use of meat category brands to animal protein products – this standard should include guidance on the use of livestock imagery for la- belling and marketing of plant-based protein prod- ucts.
This to me shows the value of the progressive culture we aim to embody and is something APL will continue to prioritise.
• Work to increase con- sumer awareness and un- derstanding around CoOL
Feral pigs create suitable environments for mosquito breeding through their wal- lowing behaviour. Photo: DPI NSW
JEV and feral pigs
n What land managers need to know
The outbreak of Japanese encephalitis virus is at- tracting considerable in- terest from the general community – in the role that feral pigs play in the transmission of JEV, as well as maintenance of the virus in the environ- ment.
Both domestic and feral pigs are able to amplify the virus, as are water- birds, which means mos- quitoes can pick JEV up from biting infected pigs and transmit it to the next host.
in areas of high mosquito populations to mitigate the spread of Japanese en- cephalitis.
A factsheet is also avail- able to assist with recog- nising signs of feral pigs in the environment.
To date in this outbreak, no confirmed cases of Japanese encephalitis have been found in feral pigs.
A new factsheet is avail- able via feralpigs.com.au to provide information to those involved in feral pig management activities about JEV including:
It is important that land managers continue with coordinated and collabo- rative feral pig manage- ment programs to reduce risks of JEV from feral pigs, and all the other eco- nomic, environmental and social impacts caused by feral pigs.
It is likely that in many regions, feral pigs will be living in close proximity to waterbirds and creating suitable environments for mosquito breeding through their wallowing behaviour.
• Risks to human health
This situation is not helped by the rainfall and flood events experienced in many areas of eastern Australia over the past month or so.
• Signs of disease to look for in pigs.
Land managers are being asked to control or elimi- nate breeding grounds for mosquitos, treat all remaining stagnant water sites to kill mosquito larvae and conduct mos- quito-control programs
Links to the new guide ‘Integrated mosquito man- agement principles for pig- geries’ have been included in the feral pig-focussed fact sheet – to inform land managers on the most ap- propriate insecticides and larvicides to apply while minimising residue and environmental risks asso- ciated with their use.
Feel free to contact me on heather.channon@ feralpigs.com.au or call 0423 056 045 to discuss your feral pig management issues or any information presented in this article.
• How to minimise the risk of exposure to mos- quitos to reduce possible infection with JEV
Outcomes from a re- cently completed eco- nomic study conducted by North West Local Land Services NSW will be dis- cussed in upcoming ar- ticles.
Phone: 07 4697 3344 • Fax 07 4697 3532
www.stockyardindustries.com
by HEATHER CHANNON National Feral Pig Management Co-ordinator
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Visit the Stockyard Industries team at the PIX/AMC Pork Production Conference 15 - 17 May 2022.
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