Page 18 - Australian Pork Newspaper

The FOG blanket formed by EDUR pumps at a process plant in Europe.
Improve your DAF system
NEW research shows un- certainty from ongoing bilateral trade wars be- tween China and the US have set the global trading environment back decades and undermined Australian agricultural exports.
A comprehensive AgriFu- tures Australia-funded re- port released recently gives policy-makers, industry peak bodies and primary producers a roadmap as to how a less-predictable trad- ing environment may im- pact export markets.
AgriFutures Australia managing director John Harvey said the ITS Glob- al analysis, Bilateral trade wars: Understanding the implications for Australian agriculture, gives the indus- try a firm footing for policy creation.
“This robust analysis gives Australian exporters the knowledge they need to take a leadership role in at- tempting to restore stability for agricultural commodi- ties in the current global trading environment,” Mr Harvey said.
“The findings show uni- lateral moves by the Trump administration to renego- tiate existing trade agree- ments have threatened World Trade Organization principles of a rules-based trading system, creating uncertainty for Australian agriculture.”
The report identified a wide range of risks and op- portunities for Australia’s agricultural interests aris- ing from the current trade wars, finding some Aus- tralian products are likely to fare better than others.
AgriFutures Australia senior manager Business Development Jen Medway agreed that while some in- dustries will prosper and others may feel the pres- sure from these trade wars, understanding the potential
impact is fundamental to creating stability in an un- settled trade environment.
“Australia’s dairy indus- try is one industry that could potentially benefit from trade opportunities with China on the back of additional tariffs imposed on US dairy products,” Ms Medway said.
“On the flip side, a pro- spective US-Japan free trade agreement could negatively impact the dairy industry as US producers disadvantaged in the Chi- nese market could gain im- proved access to Japan.
“For the Australian wool industry, the bilateral trade wars may not have a notice- able impact, despite China implementing retaliatory tariffs on some US wool products.
“The relatively small size of the US wool export mar- ket to Asia will buffer any significant uncertainty for Australian wool exporters as a result of the increased tariffs.”
This is similar for Aus- tralian sheep and goat meat exports, primarily lamb, where the aftermath of the trade wars are expected to be minimal.
These products have not been the focus of additional tariff actions, however a US-UK FTA (following the UK’s exit from the Euro- pean Union) would have a negative impact on some Australian markets.
“The UK is a leading sheepmeat exporter and the US is Australia’s most im- portant market,” Ms Med- way said.
“Any improvement in ac- cess for UK product into the US would be damaging to Australia’s export inter- ests.”
Another area we may see increased competition is in Australia’s fresh, chilled and frozen beef exports
due to risks identified in Australia’s two biggest beef export markets – Japan and the US.
“The US is increasingly eager to expand its export reach of beef products into Japan, with the US hav- ing very limited access to China and the EU due to a ban on hormone growth promotants,” Ms Medway said.
“With the US and Japan edging closer to negotiating a bilateral FTA, Australian beef exports to Japan may suffer.”
Mr Harvey acknowledged the importance of the re- port findings, noting they are critical to putting rigor around our understanding of the top line impacts for agriculture products as a result of trade wars.
“It will inform Australian industry input on how best to ameliorate the detrimen- tal side effects of current and possible future trade measures,” Mr Harvey said.
Mr Harvey added the take-away message from the research is trade wars breed uncertainty.
Uncertainty is bad for business and leaves agri- cultural producers, traders and buyers struggling to manage a shifting policy landscape.
“The longer this period of uncertainty lasts, the more commercial decisions will need to be made by Aus- tralia’s agricultural stake- holders facing the prospect of sudden and unpredict- able policy changes at the global level,” Mr Harvey said.
As a medium-sized, open economy dependent on trade to underpin economic growth, Australia benefits significantly from the con- fidence and predictability inspired by the smooth op- eration of the international trade regime.
FOOD processing companies can improve the reliability of their DAF system and reduce maintenance costs by throw- ing out their compressor and air saturation (pressure) vessel and replacing their existing pump with an EDUR mul- ti-phase pump, according to Australian distributor Hydro Innovations.
The EDUR multi-phase pump is unique in that it is capable of pumping an air/ water mixture, so install- ing this pump enables DAF system owners to disconnect their compressor (to free it up to use elsewhere or work it less and save on maintenance costs).
They also don’t need the on- going maintenance and recer- tification for the air saturation pressure vessel.
With the pressure vessel, they can remove or bypass it,
or incorporate it into the new system.
If they choose to incorporate it, it just becomes part of the pipe system and will not be a pressure vessel requiring cer- tification.
The heart of the new sys- tem is the EDUR multi-phase pump.
The setup is simple.
It is set up with a throttle valve and ‘air snorkel’ on the suction side of the pump, and a solution line (or reuse the existing air saturation vessel) and throttle valve on the dis- charge.
The pump draws water from the ‘clean’ side of the DAF tank, and with the negative pressure created by partially closing the suction throttle valve, also draws atmospheric air into the pump.
The pump shears and mixes the air with the water and dis-
charges it (under pressure cre- ated by the discharge throttle valve) through the discharge solution line.
The pressure created and the time spent in the solu- tion line ‘forces’ the air into solution.
When the air/water solution reaches the lower pressure in the DAF tank, the air comes out of solution to form tiny micro bubbles (30-70 micron).
The micro bubbles attach to fat, oil and grease (FOG) par- ticles and float them to the surface of the DAF tank.
A FOG blanket is formed and mechanically scraped away (as with conventional systems).
The major benefits of chang- ing to an EDUR system are the simplicity of a ‘set and forget’ arrangement and the ongoing maintenance cost savings.
No more compressor needed means lower maintenance on the compressor.
The removal of the pressure vessel means a reduction in maintenance costs and elimi- nation of the need for yearly certification of the pressure vessel.
The removal of the pressure vessel also improves WHS around the system.
More information on the EDUR pump/system may be obtained from Hydro Innova- tions at hydroinnovations.com. au
The bank of EDUR pumps producing the ‘blanket’.
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Page 18 – Australian Pork Newspaper, June 2019
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New ‘no rules’ trading environment unsettles Australian agricultural exports
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