Page 12 - Australian Pork Newspaper

Forewarned is forearmed
n Education to help secure our industry future
Nordic News
by ASHLEY NORVAL
New Australian Pork Industry Quality Assurance Program Lead
Quality Assurance
by BJORN LUDVIGSEN
FINALLY, months after the forced clo- sure of the mink in- dustry in Denmark, conversations are now being had about the compensation mink producers will be of- fered.
The labelling of an- imal products in Den- mark is excellent.
To date, no compensa- tion has been received, nor were the producers allowed to take any money for the pelts – else they would not be entitled to receive anything for the forced government closure of their business.
Labelling laws state that on each package of meat the country in which the animal was raised, slaughtered and processed must be listed.
The question remains if the industry will le- gally be allowed to re- cover – though it seems highly unlikely given the sobering number of animals killed – in- cluding all breeding stock in Denmark.
This is a product that we have known about for a while, but it is now becoming a regular op- tion in shops and is being advertised.
There is also no schools program in Denmark about the pig industry, though it cre- ates billions in income every year and is an in- dustry that the country relies on to survive.
In a nutshell, APIQ assists Australian pork producers to manage on-farm risks while meeting regulatory re- quirements around pig welfare and good hus- bandry practices.
Though still masked as a necessity for human safety, the decision was made with little to no scientific evidence.
There is a high chance that sooner or later people with an agenda of shutting down an- imal farming will enter Australian parliament – we already know of several in the minority.
The scope of this role sees me responsible for leading continuous improvement to the system to ensure APIQ remains relevant and valuable to all stake- holders, while building strong relationships with producers and other industry stake- holders to demonstrate the value APIQ pro- vides.
As part of the Pro- ducer Relations team, I serve as the primary contact within APL for a wide range of producers across Aus- tralia.
In fact, the govern- ment acted against rec- ommendations made by the national scientific advisors.
Despite being price comparable, it would seem as though the plant-based products are the least popular choice by the average consumer – so much so that the products are regularly sold at a high discount.
The general con- sumers’ concern for animal welfare, in ad- dition to their general lack of knowledge about how any animal is pro- duced, is dangerous for us as an industry.
These people also look to other parts of the world for inspira- tion – its working in Germany with the pig industry and in Den- mark with the mink in- dustry.
For the most part, I will be based in Ad- elaide, having re- cently relocated after three years living and working in New Zea- land in the pork in- dustry.
This is particularly scary to consider when the next industry to come under scrutiny could easily be pork.
Especially when other products, which are in the consumers eyes at least, a suitable substi- tute for an actual an- imal meat product.
I’m enjoying re-con- necting with producers with whom I have an existing relationship, as well as getting to know many for the first time through regular contact.
Even scarier is that this devastating event was possible in a country such as Den- mark, despite the de- mocracy that is meant to exist.
It looks as if con- sumers do not want to give up their right to eat meat, which is good news for us.
One of the key things I believe we can do is educate consumers and tell our industry’s story.
Now is the time to step up our industry presence and consumer education to ensure we have a future in Aus- tralian food production, while we still have the chance.
Another important aspect of the role in- cludes supporting APL’s PigPass, the national tracking system of pig move- ments across Australia, including the final stages of development of APL’s new PigPass app.
Prior to joining APL, my career was primarily based in op- erations and project management within the pork and stockfeed milling industries.
I look forward to working with pro- ducers, processors and other stakeholders in the year ahead and wish everyone a great 2021.
Clearly the govern- ment currently in power
I’m always avail- able to chat on either 0439 261 168 or bjorn. ludvigsen@australian pork.com.au
has an agenda against farming animals, in a similar fashion to the government in Ger- many, which was pre- viously written about and which continues full steam ahead with extreme restrictions for pig producers.
However, soon there will be a new option for consumers in lab- grown meat.
Yet despite this, con- sumers remain gener- ally ignorant in their knowledge of agricul- ture.
I AM proud to share my recent appoint- ment as Australian Pork Industry Quality Assurance Program lead in the Producer Relations team at Aus- tralian Pork Limited and introduce myself and my role, which primarily serves to support the APIQ.
Throughout the coro- navirus pandemic, in particular during lock- down periods – which we are currently still under – we have seen a 10 percent increase in meat sales, corre- sponding to an approxi- mate 10 percent down- turn of vegetarian and vegan-friendly meat re- placement products.
The only messaging available about the product is that it is grown from animal tissue, with high and controlled food-safety standards, without any suffering to the ani- mals.
It seems logical that the education of the next generation will help to bridge this knowledge gap.
volves working with producers, transporters and recipients to pro- vide training support and encourage uptake of this timesaving technology.
erable experience in maintaining APIQ and other quality assurance programs – Stock Feed Manufacturers Council of Australia’s Feed- Safe and New Zealand Pork’s PigCare – from a producer’s viewpoint, which allows me to bring a fresh perspec- tive to this role.
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My roles in family farming and corporate farming enterprises have given me consid-
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