Pork Journal November/December 2010

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Pork Journal November/December 2010 Volume 32, Number 6

Berkshire blessing for Young producers What a sow-stall free industry means for future food production What’s so special about organic minerals?

Testing times for stockfeed

Another eight years funding for Pork CRC PrintPost Approved PP243096/00002 ISSN 1032 3759

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Contents 8 UP FOR ADOPTION – PORK CRC Berkshire blessing for Young producers ‘Up for Adoption’ by Brendon Cant will appear regularly and exclusively in Pork Journal and will focus on Pork CRC supported research and development which has been, or is about to be, adopted by on-farm producers. In this issue we look at Windrige Pig Farms at Young and their adoption of the first seed of the Pork CRC’s new triticale variety Berkshire.

12 NUTRITION FEATURE What’s so special about organic minerals?

Sally Walker from Windridge Pig Farms

Pork Journal November/December 2010 Volume 32, Number 6 Editorial Enquiries Peter Bedwell or Rosemary Embery +6 1 2 9798 3078 Sales: Peter Bedwell Phone: +61 2 9798 3078 Mob: 0419 235 288 Fax: + 61 2 9798 2105 Email: ilvaril@iinet.net.au Website: www.primarymedia.com.au PORK JOURNAL consists of a bi-monthly management magazine and an annual industry review.

Published by C D Supplies Pty Ltd (ACN 091 560 557)

Trace minerals make up a very small proportion of both the amount and cost of a typical pig diet, yet their presence can have a big impact on whether an animal grows or produces to its genetic potential. Andreas Kocher and Adam Naylor from Alltech Biotechnology bring us this report.

NEWS 4 What a sow-stall free industry means for future food production Peter Bedwell reports on the announcement from APL that industry delegates voted at its recent AGM to pursue the voluntary phasing out of gestation stalls by 2017 and what that will mean for the future of food production in Australia.

11 Australian pork producers vote for sow free stalls Following its recent AGM, APL announced that the Australian pork industry had voted to pursue the voluntary phasing out of gestation stalls by 2017.

14 SA Pig Health Monitoring Scheme enters a new era A dinner attended by SARDI pig researchers, veterinarians and pork producers held in Gawler on November 22, marked the official end of SARDI’s involvement in the SA Pig Health Monitoring Scheme (PHMS).

16 Alltech to capitalise on new technologies and Equestrian Games aura

Production: Rosemary Embery Email: rembery@iinet.net.au

Although the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games ended a couple of months ago, title sponsor Alltech’s President, Dr Pearse Lyons, is still very much in a ‘postgames honeymoon period’. He is measuring the consequences this hugely-mediatised global event has had on his company and on the agribusiness sector.

OFFICE ADDRESS: 250 Hawthorne Pde, Haberfield NSW 2045 Ph: (02) 9798 3078 Fax: (02) 9798 2105

17 Another eight years funding for Pork CRC

SUBSCRIPTIONS: AUSTRALIA One year – $66.00*.

Send payment and full details to: Pork Journal, GPO Box 1846, Sydney NSW 2001 Phone (02) 9492 7386 Fax: (02) 9492 7310 NEW ZEALAND One year – $NZ80.

OTHER COUNTRIES Asia Pacific including the Subcontinent – One year: Airmail – $A90; Rest of the World – One year: Airmail – $A90.

Please send payment in Australian dollars.

Australia’s pork industry has welcomed the announcement by Federal Innovation Minister, Senator Kim Carr, that the Pork CRC has been funded for a further eight years.

18 Testing times for stockfeed Technology commercialised as AusScan by Australia’s Pork Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) is successfully using new Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR) tests to improve the transparency of grain quality between buyers and sellers.

*Australia subscription rate includes GST.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Send details to: GPO Box 1846, Sydney NSW 2001, Fax: (02) 9492 7310 (Subscriptions only).

ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT (editorial and advertisements) and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the publishers. Whilst every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the contents of PORK JOURNAL, the publishers do not accept any responsibility or liability for the material herein.

19 Researchers, producers discuss pig industry innovation Increasing the iron content of pork and improving the survival rate of piglets were just two of the topics discussed during an international Pig Genetics Workshop at the University of New England recently.

20 CSIRO well prepared for foot-and-mouth CSIRO is enhancing Australia’s biosecurity preparedness and capabilities to mount an effective response to a potential outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) through a five-year FMD risk management program.

PORK JOURNAL, November/December 2010

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NEWS What a sow-stall free industry means for future food production APL held its AGM recently and industry delegates voted to pursue the voluntary phasing out of gestation stalls by 2017.

In a statement following the vote, APL’s Managing Director Andrew Spencer was quoted as stating, “The APL Board firmly believed this issue had to be debated by the industry in an open and transparent manner”.

At Pork Journal we would take issue with this statement.

The media and members of the public were prohibited from attending the AGM at which the discussion and the vote was taken.

This is a pity because it would have been an ideal opportunity for those that have reservations about a radical and expensive change to the industries production methods to express those doubts in a wider forum.

We were told that the ban on media attendance was thought to be necessary because it might inhibit delegates’ full expression of their views.

In the ten or so years that Pork Journal has been interacting with growers we have hardly ever experienced a reticence of key players in the industry to express their opinion.

Still, we realise that in this instance ‘media’ potentially meant more than just the pork industry publications, with much wider interest in the whole sow stall debate being expressed by all mainstream media including daily press and television.

However, this wider interest could have generated a bit more awareness amongst the consumers about our industry.

After all, the main reason that the industry is volunteering to dispense with sow stalls is that the consumer, expressing their views through buying preferences, wants it, apparently.

Wider media attention would have demonstrated our willingness to address their concerns but also show the cost to the industry in both investment and production loss which is involved in complying with perceived ‘welfare’ friendly production methods.

None of the above changes the fact that the decision for the industry was one they had to make.

Though there has obviously been the pressure from major retailers and Coles in particular, had not the industry taken the step to make changes voluntarily, there can be little or no doubt that state governments, ever concerned with the growing

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‘green’ vote, would have forced the industry’s hand, as it did in Tasmania.

Any grower contemplating upgrades or construction of new sheds would simply be mad not to consider alternative sow housing systems.

But in complying with consumer driven retailers’ pressure, the industry now faces two potentially dangerous precedents.

Firstly, it has allowed its production systems to be dictated by animal welfare groups and through their influence, the big retail operations.

It is no secret that Coles and Woollies are locked in a battle for market dominance that involves large corporate egos and huge capital investments.

This battle is for Coles to win and Woollies to loose (along with other smaller retail operations).

Coles’ management appears to be significantly influenced by senior executives with extensive experience in the highly competitive UK market where ‘free range’ pork sales have restored some balance to market share held by UK farmers who were being swamped by pork imports, particularly from eastern Europe.

But in complying with consumer driven retailers’ pressure, the industry now faces two potentially dangerous precedents Though there are some similarities to the UK situation faced by Australian growers there are key differences, particularly in the fresh pork market.

It has been suggested to Pork Journal that, though the UK consumer share pig welfare and housing concerns with Australian consumers, one of the main UK consumer concerns is food safety.

It may well be that the UK consumer has an innate aversion to pork imported from regions where food safety regulations are less than comprehensive - this is not as far as we are aware, a concern shared by Australian consumers.

The UK consumer may see some benefit in free range production, but it may be more about their safety rather than just sow welfare.

Further, Coles has made its views widely known that their livestock based offerings are about consumer choice.

PORK JOURNAL, November/December 2010

It is ironic therefore that in terms of retail preference there is in Australia, very little choice – it’s Coles or Woollies!

A recent curious decision by the ACCC to try to prohibit Metcash from acquiring the Franklins 77 store chain because it would ‘reduce consumer options in NSW’ seems on the face of it to further entrench the Big 2’s dominant position.

Then there is the question of what the retailers actually want – is it the removal of sow stalls or a significant increase in free range production?

The answer is probably both, but there are serious concerns being expressed by environmental scientists as to how much free range production is viable on typical Australian paddocks.

Even at around 5% of total pork production, there are already signs in some regions that even this low level of outdoor production, may be unsustainable – time will tell.

The second concern is that by accepting the overall industry need to remove sow stalls, the industry will be abandoning a science based practice – a fact raised in APL’s release on the subject.

This may come home to bite us when inevitably we are faced with further pressures from the ‘free trade no matter what fanatics’ to open up our markets to more imports.

Ultimately, because of purely political imperatives, the industry lost its sciencebased arguments against US imports based on the dangers posed by PMWS and PRRS. But the strong evidence from independent scientific bodies like the CSIRO and then the problems caused by PMWS in the New Zealand industry, demonstrated the justification of the industry stand.

By going against established science on the sow stall issue (and possibly environmental issues associated with extensive systems) we may face problems down the track.

Then there is the ‘elephant in the room’ that is population growth, both within Australia and globally.

Let’s take Australia first. Despite resistance from both the general population and many in the scientific community, we are heading towards a significantly increased population - 35 million within 25 years.

Our infrastructure is creaking and our water supplies are running out right now with just a 21 million population, but w

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NEWS v developers, many politicians (and their public servants) along with other big industry influence groups like banks, and dare we suggest retailers, all want a bigger Australia so that, inevitably is what we will get.

Just recently Australia became a net importer of food (in $ value terms) for the first time. It will be interesting to see where we are by 2017 let alone 2035.

No doubt those who want a bigger Australia are confident that they can rely on imports (a true free traders dream!) but those imports may not be either affordable or indeed available.

Just recently Argentina put export taxes on beef exports and Russia, because of a poor harvest, simply banned wheat exports so it could feed its own populations and expanding livestock industries.

The WTO, an organisation that seems to have our pollies in its thrall, protested shrilly but that didn’t seem to impress the likes of Putin and Medvedev or the new Argentinian President.

In the US, an ever increasing proportion of US feed crops is diverted to ethanol production, an insanity pursued by Australian state governments as well.

How long will it be before even the most competitive exporters in OECD nations start to consider restricting exports in favour of feeding their own citizens and their livestock?

Unfortunately our big retailers, like most of our politicians, are only concerned with two to three year intervals – the next AGM or the next election.

Then there’s the global situation with population growth heading towards nine billion and much of that growth coming from our region.

To accommodate that population growth and the increasing demand for meat as developing mega markets like China and India grow more affluent, we will need to produce at least twice as much from our currently available farming resources.

That’s a big ask as population growth involves increasing urbanisation and depletion of land banks for agriculture.

Australia could be in a position to benefit from the ability to produce more and our proximity to the growing markets of Asia.

But to do this we will have to significantly increase productivity throughout the production process.

At the Feedworks Forum held in Coolum during September, leading animal nutritionist and APL as well as Pork CRC Director, Dr Robert Van Barneveld demon-

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Dr Robert Van Barneveld speaking at the recent Feedworks conference

strated that by improving FCR, up to 32 grams of feed could be saved per day for the same outcome in pork production.

This saving extrapolated globally could, Dr Van Barneveldt suggested, save the world millions of tonnes of feed.

As we in the industry all know, gaining effeciencies in pork production involves more than just feed – genetics, disease prevention and of course housing and rearing methods, all contribute towards the best use what are becoming, increasingly scarce resources.

As we in the industry all know, gaining efficiencies in pork production involves more than just feed – genetics, disease prevention and of course housing and rearing methods, all contribute The very governments and influences that drive them, like pressure from animal welfare groups and major retailers, may be looking at a very changed landscape by 2017, let alone 2035.

Already food prices in Europe are climbing at an alarming rate. Consumers are notoriously fickle and it would appear that the combination of failing economies thanks to the GFC, and rising prices, are seriously reducing demand for more expensive free range and ‘welfare friendly’ products.

PORK JOURNAL, November/December 2010

Denmark for instance, has reduced its free range production which it found to be unsustainable, in favour of more efficient intensive indoor operations.

Australia has, thus far, escaped the worst ravages of the GFC but there are other pressures on the consumers purse including rising interest rates and housing costs.

Having voted to give the retailers the welfare friendly and possible free range product they demand, there needs to be assurances that there is adequate financial recompense for the production sacrifices and infrastructure costs involved.

Just recently the egg industry in Australia, having dramatically increased ‘welfare friendly production’ methods including free range, barn laid and new lower stocking density cage systems, has been thanked for its initiatives by demands for a significant reduction in returns by retailers who want to reduce the cost of these products on the supermarket shelves.

Who knows, as global conditions cause a shift in demand to more affordable food for growing populations, the governments that want us to remove sow confinement today may soon be encouraging us to do otherwise down the track.

That great statesman Winston Churchill said many things in his long career, but maybe one of his most quotable quotes was, “when the population is without food for over 36 hours, governments fall”.

Today it’s politicians in more volatile areas of the globe like Eastern Europe and South America that are keenly aware of Churchill’s warning.

Right now with the liquorice allsorts that is Australian politics, such warnings fall on deaf ears.

Though our industry is currently subject to more state government legislation in running its production facilities, the wider topic of food security will have to be addressed by Canberra.

Let’s hope that someone there can divert their attention from wether they should be discussing gay marriage or nuclear power at the next Labour party conference long enough to contemplate what the consequences for their parties and pensions would be if through ill advised short term considerations, Australia faced unaffordable or worse, an unobtainable food situation.

The pork industry has demonstrated that it is prepared to make compromises – let’s hope those who sell our product and regulate our industries are prepared to reciprocate. n

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UP FOR ADOPTION

Sally Walker of Young, NSW, expects the Pork CRC triticale variety Berkshire could yield six tonnes per hectare this year at ‘Koorani’.

Berkshire blessing for Young producers

By BRENDON CANT, Brendon Cant & Associates

W

indridge Farms are pretty pleased they asked for some of the first seed of the Pork CRC’s new triticale variety Berkshire.

Like so much of the eastern Australian cropping belt, their three farms around Young, on the NSW south-west slopes, didn’t have much of a cropping season in 2009, but Jonathon Duff, one of the directors, was still impressed with the performance of their initial Berkshire planting.

So impressed that Berkshire is the only triticale they’ve planted in 2010, replacing

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Tahara and they also used it in place of the wheat that has been part of their regular cropping rotation. They have planted 427 hectares in 2010.

The Windridge Farms piggery enterprise runs 3300 sows, turning off progeny at a range of weights. It crops 900 to 1000 hectares each winter, as well as running cattle and sheep.

All home produced grain and the necessary bought-in product as well, is processed in Windridge’s own feedmill, which puts through some 30,000 tonnes a year.

PORK JOURNAL, September/October 2010

Jonathon says triticale – the variety Tahara immediately before the release of Berkshire – has had a firm place in Windridge rotations for many years, because of its all round qualities as pig feed and for its ability to yield well in the Young region, particularly on the lighter, acidic soils to the east of Young.

Jonathon’s wife, Sally Walker (who buys grain for the Windridge feedmill) and Jonathon (who manages most of the Windridge cropping) were attracted to Berkshire after hearing about Pork CRC research indicating the new variety promised both high yields and improved digestibility for pigs.

Berkshire was one of three new grain varieties – the others being Maki field pea and Shepherd barley – from Pork CRC plant breeding projects released for commercial sowing during the 2009 season.

According to Pork CRC Program One Manager, Dr Ray King, at an average digestible energy (DE) content of up to 13.9 MJ DE/kg, Berkshire contained about 0.5 MJ DE/kg more than the average energy in other triticale varieties, including Tahara. w

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The higher DE content of Berkshire was confirmed by AusScan feed analysis on samples of Berkshire collected from around Australia during the 2009/10 harvest, making it similar to the ‘average’ wheat.

Dr King encourages grain growers and pork producers to have their grain samples analysed for energy by AusScan, because actual DE may vary significantly, depending on yield and location.

A technology commercialised by the Pork CRC, AusScan uses new Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR) tests and is now available at a number of licensed laboratories around Australia.

“This is our second year of growing Berkshire and, while we haven’t harvested yet, the crop looks terrific, with lovely big heads, five rows of grain in them and big seeds,” Sally said.

“On our better soils I believe it is not unreasonable to expect six tonnes per hectare this year, which is just great.

“This has been a good growing season, of course and Berkshire won’t yield that much in every paddock, because of the variation in our soils, some of which aren’t that good.”

In 2009, for instance, Sally and Jonathon made their initial Berkshire planting on their largest property Templemore, which has light, acidic soil where triticale performs best. They were pleased with the yield, in what was a poor season.

It was “pretty impressive”, according to Sally and out yielded other varieties of triticale growing on the better soils on Windridge’s other two farms.

“In the past we have grown some wheat on the better soil on those other two farms but this year we have totally replaced wheat with Berkshire triticale,” Sally says.

“There is one farmer here, who has grown grain for us in the last few years, who also has planted some Berkshire and is so impressed with it he says we should go and have a look at his crop.

“We believe that, with the better yield and the digestibility benefits in pig diets, Berkshire triticale will reduce our cost of production and increase income for our grain growers.

“And it is so good for pig feed that we would like more people around here to grow it for us, particularly those growers on the lighter soils where it should be very attractive,” Sally said.

‘UP FOR ADOPTION’ will appear regularly and exclusively in Pork Journal and will focus on Pork CRC supported research and development which has been, or is about to be, adopted on-farm by producers. For details of AusScan Program contact John Spragg on 0402 831 843. Brendon Cant can be contacted on (08) 9384 1122.

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Top: Pork CRC’s new triticale wheat variety Berkshire has higher DE content.

Centre: The farms run 3300 sows and the digestibility benefits in pig diets from Berkshire triticale should reduce cost of production. Above: Directors of Windrige Pig Farms, Jonathon Duff and Sally Walker.

PORK JOURNAL, November/December 2010

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NEWS Australian pork producers vote for sow free stalls Following its recent AGM, APL announced that the Australian pork industry had voted to pursue the voluntary phasing out of gestation stalls by 2017.

“The vote is a major step for Australian pork producers,” said APL CEO Andrew Spencer.

“The phasing out of gestation stalls will come at a significant cost to farmers, with initial modelling estimating it will cost up to $95 million. To successfully achieve this outcome by 2017, pork farmers will require support from regulators, political stake holders, the retail sector, consumers and the general community.

“As a result of this historic vote, APL will start a round of meetings with State and Federal Agriculture Ministers to brief them on the voluntary phase out and what this step means for Australian pork farmers.

“This decision comes at a time when major retailers in Australia are clearly indicating there is a growing unrest among customers about the industry’s use of gestation stalls. The vote demonstrates that the industry recognises the issue of gestation

stalls has moved beyond the scientific argument of whether or not they are better for pigs.

“The vote propels Australian pork producers onto the world stage as leaders in animal welfare policy development. It also provides the marketing opportunity for Australian pork to differentiate itself against its global competitors who continue to use gestation stalls.

“This vote comes after extensive industry consultation in which producers at meetings across the country were given the opportunity to express their views on this very important issue.

“The APL Board firmly believed this issue had to be debated by the industry in an open and transparent manner. The resultant vote of today has supported that objective” Mr Spencer said.

The pursuit of a sow stall free industry Following the announcement from APL, Lee McCosker, from Humane Choice, said “We applaud the move by the pork industry away from sow stalls and hope that their good intentions do not fall by the wayside as others have done.

“In 2007 Smithfield Foods, the largest pork producer in the US, promised to be sow stall free within ten years. The world congratulated them and Smithfield Foods relished the praise and avoided a lot of scrutiny for nearly three years. It abandoned those plans citing operating losses

and a lack of available capital expenditure.

“The Australian Pork Industry is only proposing a voluntary phasing out of sowstalls,” she said.

“Unless the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Pigs is changed to reflect this industry decision, producers will still be free to use sow stalls.

“The Code of Practice is due for revision in 2014. If industry is truly intent on making change then they should be happy to have sow stall use banned in the Code of Practice and legislated nationally.”

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NUTRITION FEATURE

What’s so special about organic minerals?

By ANDREAS KOCHER and ADAM NAYLOR, Alltech Biotechnology Australia Ltd

T

race minerals make up a very small proportion of both the amount and cost of a typical pig diet, yet their presence can have a big impact on whether an animal grows or produces to its genetic potential.

For example, trace minerals are components of hormones, metallo-enzymes and enzyme factors, they help regulate and control cell replication and differentiation.

Furthermore, the presence of some allows the animal to present an adequate immune response. Trace minerals that are normally included in a mineral premix include copper (Cu), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), iodine (I), manganese (Mn).

While base ingredients contain some trace minerals, the concentration and availability is never enough to meet the animals’ requirements and hence a mineral premix is always required.

Traditionally these minerals have been supplied as inorganic salts, such as sulphates, carbonates, chlorides and oxides.

These salts are broken down in the digestive tract to form free ions that can form complexes with other dietary molecules.

They can have antagonistic interactions with other minerals making them more difficult to absorb. While there is no doubt that our high producing animals will require higher concentrations of trace minerals than did pigs thirty years ago, simply increasing the supply of inorganic minerals is not the answer. There is some evidence that high levels of certain trace minerals may actually cause cell damage, and any oversupply ultimately results in higher levels in excreta and hence possible pollution.

In recent years there has been a lot of focus on the use and potential benefits of organic minerals.

Alltech pioneered the science behind organic minerals. The Bioplex range includes zinc, copper, manganese, magnesium and iron in which the mineral is bound to an organic component in the

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form of specific soy peptides. Selenium (as Sel-Plex) on the other hand is incorporated in a range of amino acids in a specific yeast.

What are the differences between organic and inorganic minerals?

There are many important differences between inorganic trace minerals and those supplied as a high quality organic source.

These include: 1. A reduction in the extent of interactions in the gut, so that producers have increased confidence that what we are feeding the animal is actually available for the animal to use.

2. Improved absorption of organic minerals from the gut compared to inorganic sources.

3. Producers can add smaller quantities of organic minerals to the diet and get the same or an improvement in response compared to when we add inorganic minerals.

This is particularly important in countries where the inclusion rate of trace minerals is beginning to be controlled by law.

4. Improved absorption and a reduction in the rate of minerals in the diet means a big reduction in the amount of minerals in the effluent system, and hence less impact on the environment.

Sources of organic minerals There are many suppliers of organic minerals on the market. Deciding whose product to use can be a difficult decision to make, and it should certainly not be made just on price. Suggested criteria upon which to judge a good supplier of an organic mineral would be: • What research data is available to support the claims made about the product?

• Can the company adequately describe the production process?

• Have the research results been published in a scientific journal where they have been subjected to peer review?

PORK JOURNAL, November/December 2010

• Is the product produced under a recognised quality assurance program?

• are the minerals completely free of any detrimental chemicals such as dioxins, PCB or heavy metal Taking these points into account it is also important to look at the way inorganic metals (Zn, Co, Cu, Fe, Mg) are bound to an organic compound.

Protected trace minerals: chelation In simple terms, a chelate is a mineral or metal atom chemically bonded to an organic molecule (chelating agent).

This chelate can be amino acids, diand tri-peptides. The word ‘Chelate’ comes from the Greek word ‘chele’ meaning claw, which is appropriate for the way in which the cations are held in a pincer-like grasp by the metal binding agents. The chelate carries no electrical charge, and as such is stable through the pH changes that take place during digestion.

The ideal chelating agent is one that releases the mineral in the ionic form at the intestinal wall, or that can be absorbed as an intact chelate. The organic substances which bind to the metal are called ligands.

What is a true chelate and why?

There is a great deal of confusion in the animal feed industry as to what is described as organic trace minerals.

For example, we hear of metal amino acid complexes, metal amino acid chelates, metal polysaccharide complexes and metal proteinates. In real terms, ‘complex’ is just a generic term to describe what is formed when a metal ion reacts with a ligand.

Single amino acids and short peptides (two or more amino acids) are among the best and most practical ligands for protecting metals in the digestive tract. When amino acids are used on their own, current terminology designates them as ‘metal amino acid chelates’.

However not all complexes are chelates, Chelates have the ‘ring structure’ formed by the chemical bond between the amino and carboxyl ends of the amino acid and the metal ion. Chelates formed between a metal and di or tri-peptides will have greater stability than a complex formed by reacting a single amino acid with the mineral.

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NUTRITION FEATURE How do we measure the value of a chelate? - Stability constants When trying to compare chelates or complexes on the basis of “which is best under this set of conditions�, it is best to consider what is known as the stability constant. The stability constant is the ratio of the chelate concentration to the concentrations of the free metal and ligand under a set of conditions. The greater the value of the stability constant, the greater the proportion of the chelate or complex which is present relative to free metal or free ligand at a given pH. Stability constants are available for different products, and not only does the type of amino acid influence the stability of a given chelate but that the configuration of amino acids in a peptide can also significantly influence how the ligand and mineral interact.

If one were to model the complexes formed by a series of ligands such as a single amino acid, a dipeptide and a tripeptide at a given pH (in this instance pH 4) and at relative proportions of mineral to ligand, then the following complexes would be formed:

Figure 1: Complex formed between Copper and a single Glycine.

During the formation of the Cu-glycinate, a covalent bond forms between the O and Cu and a coordinate covalent (also known as dative) bond forms between the N and copper. This complex still has a single positive charge (due to the dative bond) and obviously has the propensity to react with negatively charged molecules.

As such its stability and ability to effectively deliver mineral is impaired.

Figure 2: Chelate formed from Copper and the dipeptide His-Gly During the formation of the Cu-GlyHis chelate, a covalent bond forms between the O and Cu and a second covalent bond forms between the N and copper. This

complex is a chelate and as such is uncharged and unreactive.

Bioplex minerals are unique in that they are protected by multiple amino acids and peptides rather than single amino acidlinked compounds, replicating the form found in plants.

This level of protection gets then safely through the volatile GI tract, making them more easily absorbed and more highly retained.

Summary Feeding the animal with trace minerals in the correct form (i.e. high bioavailability, high stability and free of contaminants) and amount is essential if we expect our animals to grow and produce to their genetic potential.

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The Bioplex process (Alltech Inc.) is a tightly controlled and standardised process which guarantees stability, safety and most importantly biological availability.

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NEWS SA Pig Health Monitoring Scheme enters new era

By GRAEME POPE, Rural Solutions SA A dinner attended by SARDI pig researchers, veterinarians and pork producers held in Gawler on November 22, marked the official end of SARDI’s involvement in the SA Pig Health Monitoring Scheme (PHMS).

After 25 years of operation as a SARDI-managed industry service, the scheme will now continue to be provided on a fee for service basis by private veterinarian Dr Jan Jackowiak.

PHMS was originally introduced in the mid-1980s as a tool for pork producers and their veterinary advisers to monitor the prelevance and severity of a range of production limiting pig diseases.

In particular, with its focus on respiratory and enteric diseases, producers could use the data generated through slaughter checks to monitor the impact strategic changes to their piggery management were having on overall herd health status and pig welfare.

Dr Andrew Pointon, SARDI veterinarian, was a key driver behind the scheme’s inception and chaired its farewell dinner.

“The original aim of PHMS was to establish the levels of sub-clinical disease occurring in SA pig herds, to allow industry to become more strategic in how it could then manage them”, he said.

“It gave producers the opportunity to evaluate new veterinary products and to gauge their impact on their herd.

“We really targeted the respiratory diseases, APP and Enzootic Pneumonia, before the days vaccines were available and herds had taken-up all-in/all-out pig flows,” Andrew said.

“Dr Jack Reddin, Murray Bridge veterinarian and a long time user of the scheme said, “In my eyes, PHMS was the right scheme for the right client’s farm. It allowed us to evaluate the effects of making changes within a herd, right down to the size of that change and the number of pigs involved.

“It provided veterinarians with a thirdperson judgement over our decision making, to tell us if we were heading in the right direction and if our advice was working”.

“I believe PHMS has demonstrated to the sheep industry the value of health monitoring animals at slaughter,” Jack added.

“We’ve began monitoring sheep for the

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presence of Ovine Johnes Disease, but now that scheme is looking at 20 other conditions and PHMS can take credit for opening up industry to that type of thinking.

Well done!” he said.

PHMS initially reported herd disease prelevance on hand scripted reports but evolution over time has allowed for more sophisticated, computer-based disease mapping.

“Each manager of the scheme over the past 25 years has added their personal sophistication to the way in which disease reporting could be improved,” said Graeme Pope, Rural Solutions SA pig consultant.

“There have been state-wide and individual herd disease prelevances reported, their longer term trends and the reasons behind those trends having occurred,” he said. “JJ, and before him Michael Moore, have put their marks on how the slaughter data could be best reported back to industry and I am thankful that everyone involved over the past 25 years has given me great support in making sure these reports were published in a way that could be understood across the industry,” said Graeme.

Dr Barry Lloyd, Gawler veterinarian and a regular user of PHMS data in his pig consultancy work agreed the scheme still has room to grow.

“Some of the farms with would probably generate the greatest benefits through the scheme are still not regular users,” he said.

Jenny McMahon, McPiggery at Lameroo is one producer who has used PHMS results for many years to assist in management of her herd’s health.

“I’m glad that JJ will be continuing to offer this service to industry,” she said during the dinner.

“Over the years, its been a wonderful tool for us to use. You can’t always tell dayto-day if you have a new health issue about to emerge, so we have always gone to our PHMS data to keep a watch on what’s happening on our farm,” Jenny said.

Dr Colin Cargill, veterinarian, has been involved in PHMS since its inception, both in a planning role and as mentor to the scheme’s past abattoir inspectors, Michael Moore and JJ. “We need to acknowledge the original support and forward thinking demonstrated

PORK JOURNAL, November/December 2010

Top: (LtoR): Peter McMahon (McPiggery), Lameroo; Dr Dave Hamilton (SARDI) and Jenny McMahon. Above (LtoR): Drs Jack Reddin, Andrew Pointon and Jan Jackowiak. by members of the old Swine Compensation Fund, people like Kevin Dobson, Ron Lienert, Jim McAuliffe and Alan Fyfe, who years ago could see the potential benefits PHMS could offer the SA pig industry,” he said.

JJ had the last official say at the dinner.

“I inherited PHMS from Michael Moore and by that time it had passed the test of time,” he said. “It has never been a compulsory scheme but it should have sold itself many times over to all SA herds.”

“When the scheme first started it was a world’s first and the information it generated has helped with pig health research here and overseas. It could be a model for many other livestock industries and I plan to continue offering it as a private service to the SA pig industry for as long as I can.”

JJ can be contacted to arrange PHMS inspections on phone 08 8263 6560.

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NEWS CRC Walana: Super pea in the making A new high yielding, disease resistant field pea released by Australia’s Pork Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for commercial sowing next year offers pork producers a reliable protein source.

Previously designated PRL131, the new variety, CRC Walana, is named after an aboriginal weapon, continuing the naming tradition of Yarrum and Maki, field pea varieties already released for Australia’s northern region.

The Pork CRC has applied for Plant Breeders Rights for CRC Walana in Australia and has licensed Waratah Seed Company Ltd to market the variety.

According to Pork CRC Program One Manager, Dr Ray King, CRC Walana is resistant to powdery mildew and pea seed borne mosaic virus, has useful tolerance to bean leaf roll virus and is specifically suited to short season planting in northern NSW and southern Queensland.

“CRC Walana not only satisfies pork producers, but its large, spherical, white seed can also be eligible for lucrative human consumption and splitting markets,” Dr King said.

In extensive field trials in northern NSW and south east Queensland, CRC Walana outyielded Yarrum and Maki, varieties recently released by The University of Sydney field pea breeding program and Plant Research New Zealand Ltd (PRNZL).

The original cross was by Adrian Russell of PRNZL and then selected for release by Steve Moore, University of Sydney, with funding from the Pork CRC, which supports the New Zealand and Narrabri, NSW based field pea programs as part of its innovative and successful feed grain breeding program.

The Pork CRC program successfully released Maki in 2009 and recently released the triticale, Berkshire and the barley, Shepherd, also for northern Australia.

Dr King said the program enhanced the commercial production of cereals and pulses with high yield, cost-effective agronomy and acceptable nutritional attributes for pigs.

“The Pork CRC is committed to identifying high yielding field pea varieties for northern and southern regions and encourages farmers to grow them for the Australian pork industry in these regions,” Dr King said.

Left to right: Steve Moore, University of Sydney; Bernard Hart, Waratah Seed Company grower member of Junee, NSW; Adrian Russell, Plant Research New Zealand and Dr Ray King, Pork CRC Program One Manager at a trial site of the new field CRC Walana, formerly known as PRL131.

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NEWS Alltech to capitalise on new technologies and Equestrian Games aura Although the very successful 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games ended a couple of months ago, title sponsor Alltech’s charismatic President, Dr Pearse Lyons, is still very much in a ‘post-games honeymoon period’. He is in the process of measuring the consequences this hugelymediatised global event has had, and will have, on his company and on the agribusiness sector in general.

Unlike other industry peers, Alltech traveled to the German town of Hannover for this year’s EuroTier with more than just the intent to showcase its products. During the trade show, Feedinfo News Service spoke to Dr Lyons followed by Alltech’s Vice-President of Corporate Accounts, Aidan Connolly, to find out what special messages the company wanted to communicate.

“This has been a rather eventful year for Alltech. In addition to the World Equestrian Games, the company celebrates its 30 years in the business, and a few months ago it made the acquisition of what it believes to be the world’s largest algae production facility from Martek Biosciences in Winchester, Kentucky,” said Dr Lyons.

“EuroTier 2010 fitted in quite nicely after the World Equestrian Games and the resulting global exposure that Alltech had in September and October”.

Dr Lyons viewed the trade show as an opportunity for his company to ask itself where it is going and what must be done to capitalise on the rise of its brand on the international stage – a kind of “opportunity for me to regroup my troops,” he said.

“In many respects, the Alltech before the Games and the Alltech after the Games are two totally different companies.

“Alltech estimates its financial involvement in the Games at approximately USD 35 million, about 3.5 times more than initially expected.”

However, Dr Lyons stressed that he would not hesitate to invest as much again, as the exposure and the recognition by prestigious people and bodies of Alltech as a leading animal health and agricultural business was certainly worth it. He even hinted that Alltech should be involved again in the 2014 edition, which will be held in France.

Although, he did acknowledge that it will be difficult for Alltech to measure the

16

financial return of the sponsorship in sales, and that it is hard to quantify his company’s grown exposure to the agricultural world, he, nonetheless, feels confident that the Games could bring up to USD 110 to 120 million for Alltech.

On a side note, Dr Lyons also pointed out that the World Equestrian Games helped double the sales of Alltech’s Lifeforce, an equine feed supplement.

“I view the games as more than an equine event, perhaps the biggest agriculture event in the world. The event has and will continuously catapult Alltech on to the global agricultural stage.”

Asked why Alltech took on the role of title sponsor, and why the company carried out such significant marketing investments to organise educational exhibitions, which are not often associated with companies in the animal nutrition business, Dr Lyons simply replied by saying that Alltech above all wanted to promote a healthy and attractive image of agriculture.

He argued that the feed industry needs a good image, therefore a good message.

“Unfortunately,” he said, “the bodies in charge of promoting the industry are not doing the right job.”

Looking forward, the Alltech President highlighted the importance of making the industry attractive to the outside world and making it appealing to those who might be running it in the future: the children. Dr Lyons then shared his excitement about his ‘Give Kids a Chance’ initiative, which brought in 62,707 children.

“I am not suggesting that the industry takes Alltech as a model, but I am saying that it needs to invest to tell its story effectively and in an appealing way. Let’s leave our competitive nature aside and sit down to promote this industry,” he said.

Joining in the conversation, Aidan Connolly shared his views on how Alltech will build on its continuous success and will grow in the upcoming years.

Mr Connolly firstly re-confirmed the company’s ambitions to grow annual revenues from USD 500 million to more than USD 1 billion in less than five years.

He said the target will be met by Alltech by taking into account the company’s annual organic growth, which has been at 20% on average since 1980.

“Alltech’s entrepreneurial nature for the past 30 years and its expertise in seizing the

PORK JOURNAL, November/December 2010

Top: Dr Pearse Lyons, President of Alltech and (above) Aidan Connollly, Vice President of Alltech. right opportunities have been fundamental for the company’s expansion,” he said.

“One challenge ahead, however, will be to make sure that the right people get into the company. People development and talent management will be critical to maintain the pace of growth,” said Mr Connolly.

The Alltech Vice-President argued that Alltech’s expansion in the future will be mainly driven by its research efforts and progress in delivering new technologies to the market. He said that the company has high hopes especially for its Nutrigenomics work, which is already well-advanced, and for its more recent “diamond in the rough” that is algae.

He claimed that Nutrigenomics has delivered new technologies and will continue to do so and said that he has high expectations for EconomasE and Actigen, which are Nutrigenomic-derived products developed in the past two years.

“Nutrigenomics will allow us to finetune the existing technology and perhaps launch some revolutionary concepts and that is where our product pipeline growth will come from,” he said.

“Nutrigenomics is increasingly delivering on its promise. We have two products that have been launched (EconomasE and

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NEWS Actigen) and a third in the pipeline, which are based primarily on the research we undertook at gene level. And we are looking at a range of other solutions that will either come through via existing technologies or new technologies to meet animal requirements.”

Commenting on algae, Mr Connolly said: “Algae also has the potential to be as transformative a technology as yeast has been in the past. And the same way that we have cracked yeast into several bioactive components, I see us cracking algae into different bioactive components and delivering a whole new pipeline of technologies”.

“According to basic calculations, Alltech’s USD 1 billion + goal could be achieved by 2014. However, it may well be met earlier,” said Mr Connolly, if the company manages to introduce new products as quickly as possible on to the market and make them contribute substantially to overall revenues.

“I would even say that the USD 1 billion estimation is somewhat conservative.

We hope to build the platform for a several billion dollar company,” he said.

When asked if Alltech would seek external partnerships or acquisition opportunities to help boost its future development, Mr Connolly stressed that his company is constantly reviewing options.

“If somebody out there has a great technology we could acquire and bring to market, we are interested. We are looking for opportunities that would contribute, not only to our turnover, but to the animal health sector in general,” he said.

Another eight years funding for Pork CRC Australia’s pork industry, which has an annual farm-gate value of $1 billion, contributes $3 billion annually to the national economy and generates 8000 jobs, has welcomed the announcement by Federal Innovation Minister, Senator Kim Carr, that the Pork CRC has been funded for a further eight years.

After thanking the Federal Government for its $20 million commitment, Pork CRC Chairman, Dr John Keniry, congratulated his rebid team, headed by Dr Rob Van Barneveld, with support from CEO Dr Roger Campbell, Dr Darryl D’Souza of APL, Mr Rod Hamann of Australian Pork Farms and Dr Brian Luxford of Rivalea.

“We are also very grateful to the Pork CRC’s 40 participants, all of whom I thank for their enthusiasm and support, and their commitment of $18 million in cash and $94 million in-kind over the eight years, starting in July 1, 2011,” Dr Keniry said.

“In particular, I welcome the involvement of the RSPCA and retailers in the new Pork CRC, as this will help us focus on meeting the needs of consumers.”

The rebid, titled ‘High Integrity Australian Pork’, comprised four research programs including: Confinement free sow and piglet management; New generation health management and antibiotic reduction; Healthy pork consumption and Carbon-conscious inputs and outputs.

Dr Keniry said the pork industry had

to maintain local production of high quality food at a reasonable price and an acceptable return on production capital invested, while improving pig welfare, the environment and consumer health.

With innovative, collaborative, whole value chain research, development and education programs, the Pork CRC would meet the challenge by facilitating production that: • is efficient and ethical without needing sow confinement in stalls or crates, or widespread use of medications • delivers key nutrients safely, enhancing the health and well-being of consumers • utilises revolutionary feed sources and effluent management systems resulting in emissions of less than 1 kg of CO2 per kg of pork produced • contributes significantly to Australia’s economic growth and food security without drawing on the ecological capital of other parts of the world.

“Delivering these outcomes will differentiate Australian pork as a ‘high integrity’ meat that is welfare-optimal, premium quality, safe and nutritious.

“The Pork CRC will help ensure Australian pork is produced conserving energy and water resources, minimising greenhouse gas emissions and maintaining efficiency and cost of production at a level that promotes investment, growth and sustainability,” said Dr Keniry.

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NEWS Testing times for stockfeed Technology commercialised as AusScan by Australia’s Pork Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) is successfully using new Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR) tests to improve the transparency of grain quality between buyers and sellers.

With energy grains such as wheat and barley so critical to livestock feeding systems and producers experiencing narrowing margins, such an innovation will improve returns and reduce cost of production.

AusScan Program Manager, John Spragg, said with the new NIR calibrations being commercialised, instruments could now determine the energy content of grain for particular animal types.

“Many livestock producers and their nutritionists currently assume certain book values for the energy content of cereal grains and when these grains are added to other ingredients in a ration, the feed is often deficient or excessive in the required energy target,” he said.

Dr John Black, nutritionist and Pork CRC supported researcher with the AusScan project, said the variability of available energy of cereal grains differed in ruminants, such as cattle, goats and sheep and monogastric animals, such as pigs and poultry.

“When wheat and barley is fed to pigs and poultry, available energy can vary three megajoules per kilogram of dry matter, or 20 to 30 percent,” he said.

“However, when wheat and barley are fed to dairy and beef cattle, the energy content varies only one megajoule, or seven to eight percent.

“Quality indicators currently used by grain buyers include test weight, screenings and the degree of sprouting and the results are a very weak indication of the energy content animals ultimately derive from the grains,” Dr Black said.

Mr Spragg said the NIR technology, commercialised by the Pork CRC as AusScan, had already been adopted by grain marketers, feed mills and livestock end users.

“Also, there are now seven commercial analytical laboratories providing grain testing services using the technology.

“Likely longer term benefits will emerge when AusScan is used in grain breeding programs, providing a tool to select plant breeding lines that provide higher available energy grains,” Mr Spragg said.

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Technology commercialised as AusScan by Australia’s Pork Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) is successfully using new Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR) tests to improve the transparency of grain quality between buyers and sellers.

Dr Brett Thomson, General Manager, Milling and Technology with AusScan licensed service provider Milne AgriGroup, said AusScan’s software allowed Milne to achieve a better assessment of the energy content of cereal grains.

“It’s traditionally quite time consuming to measure, but the AusScan software allows us to gather the information quickly and reliably.

“We can then feed it into our least-cost formulation software in a timely manner

and receive the best value from our grains,” Dr Thomson said.

Mr Spragg said AusScan was now turning its attention to protein meal quality, with NIR calibrations being developed to assess the quality of canola and soybean meals.

“While we acknowledge that adopting any new grain pricing system will be challenging, the stockfeed industry is big business and optimising the energy content of feeds offers huge gains,” he said.

Mycotoxins 2011 at VIV Asia Following the very successful Mycotoxins 2009, this conference will run again as Mycotoxins 2011 on March 8, 2011 (the day before VIV Asia) in Bangkok Thailand.

With more than a dozen international experts from 10 different countries, this conference has a varied, stimulating and informative program for anyone involved in livestock or animal feed production.

Among the speakers will be Carlos Mallmann from the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria in Brazil who will speak on Brazilian experiences with mycotoxins and Dr Arpad Bata from Hungary who will speak on the biotechnological detoxification of mycotoxins.

PORK JOURNAL, November/December 2010

Mycotoxins 2011 is divided into two halves – in the morning the focus is on monitoring, testing and defining problems and in the afternoon technical people from Olmix, Ayurvet, Trouw, Impextraco, Invivo, Biomin, Special Nutrients, Alltech and Kemin will give short, fact filled presentations on interfacing, science, products and solutions.

Demand for places is expected to be high and attendees are recommended to book early to secure their places (special early bird rates for bookings made and paid for by 1st February 2011). For full program and booking details go to conferences section of www.positiveaction.co.uk

PJNov/Dec2010:PJJanFeb09 11/12/10 6:25 PM Page 19

NEWS Researchers, producers discuss pig industry innovation Increasing the iron content of pork and improving the survival rate of piglets were just two of the topics discussed during an international Pig Genetics Workshop at the University of New England recently.

The Pig Genetics Workshop is a biennial event organised for the Australian pig industry, with the support of Australian Pork Limited, through the UNE-based Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU) – a joint venture between the University and Industry & Investment NSW. Among the participants were representatives of the Australian pig breeding companies supplying breeding stock to more than 95% of the industry.

One of the overseas speakers at the workshop, Dr Rex Walters from the UK, who has been a regular participant in the AGBU workshop over the years, said it was one of the best forums in the world for the exchange of ideas and information on pig genetics. “I always find it very stimulating,” he said.

Dr Walters, a geneticist with the research and development company UPB Genetic World, said that the workshop regularly brought together academics, consultants and producers at AGBU, which he regarded as “a world-leading centre”. He said that two themes underlying much of the discussion at the 2010 workshop were sustainability and animal welfare.

Dr Walters was one of four eminent overseas speakers at the workshop on Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 October; the others included two who travelled from the United States and one who spoke via Webinar from Norway.

One of the American speakers, Professor Max Rothschild from Iowa State

University, presented a paper aimed at helping breeders understand the new genetic technologies that are being introduced into an already-sophisticated industry.

“Such genetic improvement will improve production characteristics and provide healthier food products worldwide,” he said, emphasising the importance to industry – particularly from a commercial perspective – of the early adoption of such innovations.

The coordinator of the workshop, AGBU’s Dr Susanne Hermesch, said the

real significance of the event lay in the vital interaction it allowed between researchers and industry. This year’s workshop, she said, had seen a special emphasis on the genetic improvement of the lifetime performance of sows.

In a paper addressing this complex issue, AGBU’s Dr Kim Bunter and Dr Craig Lewis pointed out that “selection to improve production traits has consequences for the ongoing body development of sows, their longevity, and the pre-natal development and pre-weaning performance of their progeny”.

Food labelling laws must be stronger The Food Regulation Ministerial Council will receive the Blewett report on national Food Labelling Law and Policy in Adelaide today but will not release it. Gene Ethics calls for immediate publication and says a delay of many months is unacceptable.

“The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has no right to keep citizens waiting any longer for stronger food labelling laws,” said Bob Phelps, Gene Ethics’ Director.

“Governments must release the Blewett report to the community now so its findings are subject to further public discussion and comment before COAG presents us with a done deal.

“We suspect that shoppers will still be denied the information on food labels that is needed for real choice.

“The review was promised at the 2007 election and begun in October 2009 so there is no justice in keeping shoppers illinformed any longer. Thousands submitted

written comments to the review panel and hundreds attended public hearings.

“The interested public demands the full labelling of foods made using genetic manipulation (GM) techniques, as well as other new food processes and materials that have little history in our food supply and may be unsafe to eat,” he says.

“Since 1994 more than 90% of Australians have backed full GM labelling but most GM foods remain exempt on the spurious grounds that they are refined so pose no hazard.

“Country of Origin labelling was also overwhelmingly supported, as an antidote to the global trade in food commodities which cheats our domestic producers out of the local support that they deserve.

“If GM and cheap imported foods offered real benefits then food processing and retail industries should willingly back open and honest labelling of all their processed foods,” Mr Phelps concluded.

PORK JOURNAL, November/December 2010

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NEWS CSIRO well prepared for foot-and-mouth CSIRO is enhancing Australia’s biosecurity preparedness and capabilities to mount an effective response to a potential outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) through a five-year FMD risk management program.

Australia’s livestock industries, through Meat and Livestock Australia, and the Australian Government are investing A$5 million into the research program, which will be undertaken by CSIRO scientists working at the Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL).

FMD is the most important transboundary infectious animal disease affecting cloven-hoofed animals. A potential FMD outbreak in Australia is predicted to cost between A$8-16 billion.

According to AAHL Director Dr Martyn Jeggo, markets around the world have strict and unwavering laws on their food imports.

“In the event of Australia facing an FMD incursion, the country would be locked out of all livestock-related trading agreements,” he said.

To further manage the risks FMD poses to Australia, the five-year research program is focusing on: • improving the diagnosis of FMD • ensuring the best possible tests are available to Australia • investigating issues around the potential use of vaccination in the face of an outbreak.

“Australia is free of FMD and as AAHL is not permitted to work with the live virus, we are undertaking much of our work overseas in countries where the disease is endemic or a constant threat, such as South Africa, Argentina and Vietnam,” Dr Jeggo said.

The work includes studies on FMD outbreaks in south-east Asia, involving sample collection and virus characterisation to better inform Australia on the FMD virus types in the region that pose the biggest threat to Australia.

Research Team Leader Dr Wilna Vosloo said vaccines, animal traceability, improved modelling and the use of sophisticated diagnostics underpin an effective and efficient response to FMD. “We are contributing to Australian biosecurity preparedness and pre-border regional disease surveillance and response to exotic animal diseases,” she said.

CSIRO researcher, Mr Chris Morrissy (centre), training overseas scientists.

“Working overseas not only reduces the disease risks to the countries themselves but also enhances Australia’s biosecurity through better assessment and management of threats.

“It also gives our scientists an opportunity to gain new skills and experience in working with exotic animal diseases such as FMD.”

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PORK JOURNAL, November/December 2010

Select Doser

New code of welfare for pigs released in NZ The Animal Welfare (Pigs) Code of Welfare 2010, released by the Minister of Agriculture, encourages all those responsible for pigs to adopt the highest standards of husbandry, care and handling.

The National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) has completed its review of the 2005 code which was programmed so issues surrounding the useof confinement systems – such as farrowing crates and dry sow stalls – in pig production could be re-examined.

While the code does not immediately ban the use of crates and stalls, it does introduce a five year phase out of dry sow stalls and set new limits for the amount of time they can be used for pregnant sows after mating, and for farrowing and lactation.

Accordingly, The Animal Welfare (Pigs) Code of Welfare 2010 contains standards that limit the use of dry sow stalls to four weeks after mating from December 2012 and prohibit the use of dry sow stalls after mating from December 2015.

NAWAC Chair Dr John Hellstrom says the code signals the direction the Committee and Government wants the industry to take and strongly encourages the identification and adoption of systems that improve overall animal welfare as soon as possible.

“We have set a clear end point for sow stall use after mating to improve pig welfare and sent a clear signal that highly intensive, indoor pork production is not acceptable to many New Zealanders. This is a strong message to intensive producers that they need to make changes.”

Dr Hellstrom adds that the code reduces the maximum time sows can be confined to half that of current standards by the end of 2012, and the maximum time is further reduced by the end of 2015 ensuring all sows have freedom of movement for the majority of their life.

“The code contains minimum standards and best practices that aim to encourage the highest standards of husbandry, care and handling. These standards put New Zealand one step ahead of many other countries and help strengthen our reputation in animal welfare.”

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NEWS Queensland pork processor and PorkMark join forces The Brisbane Smallgoods Company (BSC) will have its brand of bacon ‘Aussie Farmer’s Choice’ rindless middle bacon rashers, sporting the Australian PorkMark logo, in almost a thousand additional retail outlets across Australia.

BSC Director, Adam Purcell said, “the bacon packaging will display the hot pink Australian PorkMark logo incorporated with the slogan ‘No imported pork…

100% Australian Pork’.

“With major smallgoods processors using mainly overseas pork, I’m proud to be a small Australian owned company who supports solely Australian pork producers. I only hope the Australian public can support my company and the Australian farmers who have worked so very hard to produce this product.

“For some time now, Australian pork producers and consumers have been battling ambiguous labeling laws. The hot pink Australian PorkMark logo is a guarantee to consumers that what is in the packet is 100% Australian home grown and manufactured pork,” Mr Purcell said.

BSC have been using the PorkMark since 2009 and were the first QLD company to join the program.

Every week, more than $10 million worth of pork imports totalling over 2.6 million kilograms of frozen pork, arrives by boat in Australia. This amount of subsidised imported pork equates to around 70% Australia’s ham, bacon and smallgoods consumption.

Australian Pork Limited CEO Andrew Spencer said “consumer research has shown

that 96% of Australians would prefer to buy Australian grown food if they could identify it. Consumers do this in order to support Australian farmers (97%) with more than 92% of Australians believing that Australian meat is fresher, safer and better quality. Current country of origin labelling regulations makes it difficult for consumers to identify Australian pork.

“Commonly used terms such as ‘Made in Australia’ can be used on products that can contain imported meat and this can become very confusing for consumers. The pink Australian PorkMark is your guarantee of Australian origin.”

To-date there are 265 butchers and smallgoods manufacturers Australia wide that are licensed to display the PorkMark logo on their products.

New welfare regulations for Western Australian pig industry The State Government today urged pork producers to familiarise themselves with a new set of animal welfare regulations for the Western Australian pig industry.

The Animal Welfare (Pig Industry) Regulations 2010 provide for the welfare of commercially-kept pigs.

Key regulations include: • new minimum space requirements for pig enclosures • six-week limit on the time a sow can be kept in a farrowing crate • from 2017, a six-week limit on the time a pregnant sow can be confined in a sow stall.

The new regulations are derived from the Australian Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals - Pigs 3rd Edition 2008.

Key elements of the code are being applied across Australia through the introduction of regulations in each jurisdiction.

Acting Local Government Minister Bill Marmion said this reflected all States and Territories’ desire to have a nationally consistent approach to the implementation and enforcement of animal welfare standards.

The Department of Local Government, which administers and enforces the Animal Welfare Act 2002, and the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia, worked together in drafting the new regulations.

Agricultural and Food Minister Terry

Redman said the regulations followed from a national consultative process which involved peak pig industry bodies, including the Western Australian Pork Producers’ Association, and animal welfare groups.

“The national consultation process aims to ensure acceptable and agreed standards of livestock welfare are practised

in Australia,” Mr Redman said. “The regulations seek to find a balance between providing for the pigs’ health and welfare needs and the challenges faced by managers A $2,500 maximum penalty applies under the new regulations and come into effect immediately the regulations are gazetted.

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PORK JOURNAL, November/December 2010

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PJNov/Dec2010:PJJanFeb09 11/12/10 6:25 PM Page 22

NEWS Inspecting group-housed sows from the aisle a waste of time!

This is the message from Ms Fiona Kelk, a senior veterinary student studying at Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga.

Fiona’s findings were the result of a three week research project, supported by a student bursary from Australian Pork Limited and supervised by Dr Trish Holyoake (Industry and Investment NSW), and Dr Ross Cutler (Ross Cutler and Associates).

The objective of Fiona’s project was to identify the most sensitive detection methods for identifying sick or injured pregnant sows housed in stalls and groups on a commercial farm.

A second objective was to record the time taken to carry out the different observation techniques, as a guide as to the labour requirements of each.

During her three week study, Fiona examined more than 3000 sows.

For group-housed sows, she found that the highest proportion (22%) of abnormalities (mainly lameness and skin scratches from fighting) was detected when sows

were inspected from within the pen and they were encouraged to stand.

This compared to inspecting the sows from the aisle at non-feeding times (2%).

For stall-housed sows, it was best to inspect sows from the rear of the sow and at feeding time.

Fiona’s research is timely, with the recent announcement that the pig industry will voluntarily phase out sow stalls from 2017. Sows housed in groups have a tendency to fight – particularly when they are mixed and at feeding time.

As the care of pigs is ultimately the responsibility of the piggery stockpeople, it is important that they are aware of the best way to inspect the animals in their care.

Early detection and appropriate intervention of sick and/or injured sows will ensure they are given the best opportunity to stay in the herd.

Further information on the research project findings can be obtained by calling Dr Trish Holyoake on mobile number 0419 231 534.

Pork Journal

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CSU Veterinary student Fiona Kelk

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PJNov/Dec2010:PJJanFeb09 11/12/10 6:25 PM Page 23

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