Australian Pork Newspaper

Vol 25. No. 2 February 2021 Australian Pork Newspaper PO Box 162 Wynnum 4178 Phone (07) 3286 1833 Email ben@collins.media
Australian Pork Limited launched its cheeky advertising campaign showcasing pork as quick and easy to cook.
A positive note for pork industry
Point of View
by MARGO ANDRAE CEO
THE Australian pork industry has started 2021 on a positive note, buoyed by the release of Nielsen market data showing that, as we had hoped and anticipated, Aus- tralian pork was a stand-out performer over the festive season.
farmers” and estimated combined farmgate losses exceeded $A6.52 billion.
As stay-at-home Christmas demand pushed overall fresh meat sales higher com- pared to 2019, with an increase across all fresh meat volumes of 7.6 percent, roast pork soared above the pack with a 24 percent rise in volume and a 27 per- cent rise in value.
of these results and as always, we are very grateful for the efforts of producers and all in- dustry stakeholders to help achieve this suc- cess.
of similarities with the US.
As the US situation has shown, if the well- being of our workforce is compromised, it can manifest as a genuine disaster for the whole industry.
Australian Pork Lim- ited marketing director category Kathleen Pin- dsle details the break- down of the Christmas sales results in this publication, but I want to specifically high- light a few other key numbers.
Almost 50,000 front- line workers across 546 US meat plants tested positive for COVID-19 between March and mid-November, and tragically 250 of these cases were fatal.
Being a responder to a crisis means drawing on our strengths in a deliberate manner as part of road-tested emergency protocols, no matter how unfore- seen a situation might be.
Remarkably non-su- permarket roast pork sales surged in both year-on-year volume by 43.5 percent and value by 41.6 percent, representing an incred- ible result for smaller retailers.
Reflecting on such an extraordinary year, it is important to look at the valuable lessons de- rived from the way the pandemic played out in agricultural sectors overseas, particularly in the US.
The crisis heightened in April and May, as plants were closed for weeks at a time or run- ning at 50 percent ca- pacity and farmgate pig prices dropped mark- edly.
Reacting is a back- foot approach, which can often exacerbate rather than mitigate a crisis.
The Nielsen figures, which captured the four-week period to December 27, reported 2.4 million ham pur- chases in whole or half portions, with 1.3 mil- lion bone-in ham pur- chases.
COVID-19 continues to evolve and how it will continue to cause market disruption here and internationally re- mains to be seen, but that should not prevent us from reflecting on what unfolded in the US pork industry last year.
On April 29, the na- tional daily slaughter throughout was 203,000 fewer pigs than the same day in 2019.
As such, there is a very proactive pre- emptive focus in the way we are tackling the risk of ASF and in de- veloping new adaptable response frameworks which can be used as a model for other in- dustries.
This demand for bone-in ham across all retail sales represented a rise in volume of 10.8 percent and value of 15.2 percent.
While we are proud of the way our on-farm and supply chain integ- rity set us apart, Aus- tralia’s pork industry does share a number
Notwithstanding the personal impact these circumstances had on US producers and supply chain workers, US economist Steve Meyer described the situation as: “The worst financial disaster ever for American hog
APL is very proud
In 2020 we certainly learned a great deal about the resilience of the pork supply chain and how our indus- try’s agility and col- laborative spirit is a tremendous weapon in the face of COVID-19, African swine fever or any other potential emergency.
US product also dom- inates our import cat- egories, so what hap- pens in the US is very relevant to Australian pig farmers.
The US crisis also confirmed why APL’s emergency manage- ment approach is to act as a responder, not a reacter.
The backlog of mil- lions of pigs forced producers to com- mence euthanasia on a massive scale.
The many positives of the past 12 months and the lessons from events here and overseas have reinforced APL’s re- solve to continue to in- crease the popularity of Australian pork and the success of our producers throughout 2021 and beyond.
Watching the dev- astating crisis unfold from across the Pacific Ocean has served as a reminder for why one of the four pillars of the APL sustainability framework is ‘people’.
Australian pork reclaims weeknight dinners
“AGAIN! ... I guess we could make it a quickie.” In January 2020, Aus- tralian Pork Limited launched for the first time its cheeky advertising campaign showcasing pork as quick and easy
The decision was there- fore made to postpone the ‘quickie’ campaign activi- ties and prematurely re- move the ads from air.
quick and easy campaign, and while last year’s ads featured pork steak for barbecue season, the re- vised versions highlight the variety pork brings to the family dinner table.
to cook.
However, with
Instead, the marketing team at APL refocussed their efforts and adapted to the change in circum- stance.
The ending has been tweaked to showcase three new pork everyday meal options – spaghetti bolognaise, tacos and schnitzel.
COVID-19 changing the world around us and with Australia thrown into lockdown, consumers’ shopping behaviours shifted.
With people spending more time and meal oc- casions at home, APL increased its focus on inspiring audiences with recipe ideas and tips on how to cook the pork they already had on hand.
Highlighting the fact pork offers a great substi- tute for family favourites, already on the repertoire in many Australian house- holds.
Supermarket meat cabi- nets emptied, suggesting Aussies were stockpiling pork in their fridges and freezers – even those who were unfamiliar with pork or had not previously pur- chased it.
With the rollercoaster year that was 2020 behind us, APL are ready for a relaunch.
“It’s so quick and easy to give your old family favourites a delicious new twist.”
Highlighting the variety pork brings to the family din- ner table, recipes give family favourites a delicious new twist.
To see the ad, visit https://youtu.be/oJzt BiIfJvQ or to check out APL’s ‘quickie’ recipe collection head to pork. com.au
The new year means new tactics for APL’s
“Just get some pork on your fork.”
Now on air, the ads will run nationally across free- to-air TV, subscription TV, radio, social channels and online video, and are in keeping with APL’s iconic cheeky tone – of- fering a light but educa- tion-focussed message.
Phone: 07 4697 3344 • Fax 07 4697 3532
www.stockyardindustries.com
BEAT THE HEAT THIS SUMMER
WITH OUR EDC24 STIR FANS
• These stir fans are used for air circulation to reduce heating costs
• The fans can diminish condensation inside structures
• The overall comfort and wellbeing of livestock is signi cantly
improved with better air circulation
• The propeller is statically and dynamically balanced for low
noise and low vibration
• The housing is made of corrosion resistant, pre-coated
galvanised sheet-steel
Stockyard Industries 54 King Street,
Clifton QLD 4361
07 4697 3344
www.stockyardindustries.com
www.porknews.com.au