Page 14 - Australian Pork Newspaper

Foodbank serving up Aussie pork to those in need
AMID the social and Foodbank Australia, Australia’s provision of
Australian pork is usually consumed in foodservice outlets, so when restau- rants, pubs and clubs across the country were forced to closed earlier in the year, alternative mar- kets had to be found.
positive because while we had surplus product, there were lots of people facing food insecurity.”
their weekly turn-off of tionally and to food relief
to support Australians struggling to put food on the table.
Provision of protein to the community in need has been boosted by weekly deliver- ies from pork wholesalers across Australia.
economic disruptions caused by COVID-19 in recent months, Aus- tralia’s pork industry has been working with the country’s leading food relief organisation,
protein to members of the community in need has been boosted by weekly deliveries from several pork wholesalers across the country.
pigs.
“Sadly, we’ve seen
recipients.
“We’re so grateful to
In a collaboration in- volving the Federal Gov- ernment and Australian Pork Limited, Foodbank
More than a quarter of
Australian Pork Lim- ited chief executive of- ficer Margo Andrae said while the rise in home- made meals increased pork sales at butchers and supermarkets, the supply chain has still been under pressure in adjusting to COVID-19 restrictions.
Emergency relief funding made available to Foodbank by Federal Minister for Families and Social Services Anne Ruston enabled the initia- tive to commence.
market failure in the US in recent months, where major pig processors have closed for extended pe- riods.
APL and all the local wholesalers who have supported Foodbank through this period,” Ms Payne said.
“Australia’s weekly pork production is very con- sistent.
“We are very grateful that by working together, we’ve avoided that sort of devastating scenario in Australia.”
Melissa Parker from Mastercut Meats said the wholesaler, which has been supplying pork for distribution in NSW and Australian Capital Terri- tory, was keen to continue supporting Foodbank.
“While supply chains have been disrupted in recent months, we’ve con- tinued to process about 100,000 pigs a week na- tionally,” Ms Andrae said.
“We’re proud of the role our industry is playing in providing food secu- rity for those in need, but we’re also very grateful to Foodbank because the weekly supply arrange- ments have given pro- cessors and wholesalers added operational cer- tainty for their businesses and employees.
Pork provided to Food- bank has included sau- sages, roasts, mince and forequarter chops, total- ling 23,685 kilograms of made-to-order pork prod- ucts over a three-and-a- half-month period.
“As a family business, we’re always looking for ways to give back to the community,” Ms Parker said.
“Even with retail sale in- creases, we were looking at ways to take pressure off of our processors and wholesalers to ensure the market stayed as stable as possible and producers had some certainty.”
Based on this success, APL and industry whole- salers are looking at ways to continue working with Foodbank.
“This has been a fan- tastic opportunity to support Foodbank with supplies of premium Aus- tralian pork, helping those in need during this time of crisis, and also supporting our supply chain, our em- ployees and Australian pork producers.”
“Wholesalers Linley Valley Pork, Holco, Global Meats, Mastercut Meats and Top Cut have been pivotal in this won- derful initiative, providing pork to Foodbank at a sig- nificant discount to en- sure the funding can be stretched as far as pos- sible,” Ms Andrae said.
“Thousands of pigs have been euthanised on-farm and prices have fallen dra- matically, yet the need to feed Americans in-need has been more critical than ever.
“Having a regular, re- liable supply of a high- demand protein product such as pork takes the ‘surprise’ out of our supply chain and goes a long way in helping us end hunger in Australia.”
“We approached the Federal Government to talk about ways we could turn a challenge into a
“This has helped keep employees at our plants working and helped ensure producers could be confi- dent they had a buyer for
Foodbank Australia na- tional program manager agriculture Jacqui Payne explained how significant this supply has been to the Foodbank network na-
Discover how Ragazzini hose pump pushes sludge uphill
BLANTYRE Farms is a highly productive mixed farming and livestock business situated near Young in NSW.
manager Mark Schulz contacted Hydro Inno- vations, in search of a suitable pump for the ap- plication.
handle the slurry.”
The solution was to use a
expertise,” Mr Rothheudt said.
The business needed a reliable pump to transfer sludge from its covered methane gas dam.
The problem for the farm was that the slurry had the consistency of molasses and pumping it 1km up a hill to the ponds proved no easy feat for standard pumps.
The operation of this style of pump is derived from human ‘peristalsis’ intestinal muscle move- ments – an alternating contraction and relaxa- tion of muscles around a tube to coax the contents through.
Ragazzini pumps use a roller on bearing de- sign, so the casing does not have to be filled and re-filled with expensive lubricating fluid.
In other words, it found itself facing that very old, very Australian co- nundrum of how to push slurry uphill.
Hydro Innovations’ NSW regional manager Phil Rothheudt said, “Or- dinary pumps just couldn’t
“Peristaltic pumps are usually found in med- ical situations, and often used to pump blood,” Mr Rothheudt said.
This means hose changes are quicker and cleaner, and owners are able to take advantage of Ragazzini’s fast leak detection system, which alerts owners when a hose needs replacing.
That’s when Blantyre Farms’ maintenance
Ragazzini MS3 Peristaltic Pump.
“We can turn an enquiry around in the same day and offer a solution – we know the specifics – that’s what matters.”
Mr Schulz was happy with the results and said, “The information sup- plied by Phil to select the correct pump for our ap- plication was great, as was the communication for the actual purchase.”
Pumps can be used on suction lifts up to 9m and can produce pressures to 15 bar.
“Our success is due to a team with many years of
For more information, visit hydroinnovations. com.au or call 02 9898 1800.
Page 14 – Australian Pork Newspaper, November 2020
A Ragazzini MS3 Peristaltic Pump pushes sludge uphill. www.porknews.com.au