Page 13 - April 2018

Biogas survey time Sunny five-year outlook for Australian agriculture AUSTRALIAN farm come last year is set to building farm resilience tralia Free Trade Agree-
It,s a gas
BIOGAS is being used by several larger pro- ducers in Australia and smaller-scale producers are also now installing biogas systems.
Biogas benefits include producing energy at pig- geries to reduce costs and also to earn money from the sale of electricity or carbon credits.
As we approach the con- clusion of the Pork CRC and the successful Bioen- ergy Support Program, it is timely to inquire about ongoing producer interest in biogas and to compile firmer estimates of cur- rent adoption of on-farm
by ALAN SKERMAN Leader, Pork CRC Bioenergy Support Program
biogas systems.
Doing so will allow for
better planning of future research and technical support to facilitate ongo- ing adoption across the pork industry.
For this purpose, an on- line survey has been de- veloped and is available at surveymonkey.com/r/ KDW5CY2
To ensure the survey results accurately reflect producer views, we are seeking as many producer participants as possible.
Most producers will re- ceive an email containing the above link to the sur- vey in the near future.
Most questions
simple and quick respons- es, with various opt-out options along the way.
The survey also provides the opportunity for com- ments or opinions, if de- sired.
Lastly, producers do not have to provide contact details in the survey and the survey can be submit- ted confidentially.
If you have any ques- tions regarding the biogas survey or about on-farm biogas, please contact me on 07 4529 4247 or email alan.skerman@daf.qld. gov.au
www.porkcrc.com.au
production and exports have been given a sunny five-year forecast at the annual ABARES Out- look Conference.
Average farm produc- tion and exports are both expected to lock in at the higher levels of recent years, with the average 2022-23 figures expect- ed to match those of last year’s huge result.
Opening the recent ABARES Outlook Con- ference, Minister for Ag- riculture and Water Re- sources David Littleproud said a slight dip was ex- pected after the 2016-17 record result, with good improvement in the four years following.
become normal practice for Australia’s highly pro- ductive farmers.
“We continue to see in- creased demand for our clean, green produce in Asia,” Minister Little- proud said.
“Agriculture is a consist- ent performer, a power- house of the economy and keeps our country towns ticking.
“It is also the lifeblood of rural and regional communities and employs more than 300,000 Aus- tralians directly and sup- ports many more jobs in related industries.
“Variability is unfortu- nately part and parcel of running a farm business.
“The government is
through the $4 billion Agricultural Competitive- ness White Paper.”
Mr Littleproud said farmers can access 100 percent tax write-offs on water infrastructure and fences and write-offs over three years for fodder storage.
“We are helping farm- ers manage through leaner years by doubling Farm Management De- posits from $400,000 to $800,000,” he said.
“This government is focused on better access to high-value global markets and already this year we have secured the Trans-Pacific Part- nership agreement and signed the Peru-Aus-
ment.
“A key achievement
since I took on agriculture has been passing legisla- tion to establish the $4 billion Regional Invest- ment Corporation to de- liver concessional loans and water infrastructure loans directly to regional communities and farm businesses.
“Since 2013 we have increased biosecurity in- vestment by over 29 per- cent, totalling over $783 million.
“The government has created an environment for agriculture to succeed, and it is, leading to fu- ture farm-gate returns and prosperous and vibrant re- gionalcentres.”
Forbes Stud Pig Sale – May 16-17
A TWO-day event is being held at Bedger- abong Showgrounds, NSW that showcases the pork industry.
On Wednesday, May 16, 2018, schools from across the state attend and students participate in a range of activities important in the produc- tion of pork.
Then on Thursday, May 17, 2018, 80 stud
pigs from across NSW, South Australia and Victoria will be sold to a very enthusiastic crowd of pig produc- ers eager to get their hands on the best ge- netics available to the industry.
As a business involved in the pork industry, the committee would like to extend an invitation to you to attend either one
or both days.
As there is unlimited
space, we encourage you to bring equipment that showcases developments in the intensive animal production industry.
To register your inter- est or ask any questions, please contact Emma Baxter either by email ebaxter1983@outlook. com or phone 0448 198 808.
CLIMATE CONTROL | AUTOMATIC FEEDING | HOUSING www.metrowest.com.au
Dave Ahlquist 0419 860 162
Be sure
Dehydration prevention
Vet Only Ez-Lyte
• Green apple flavoured electrolyte and acidifier
• Easy to use solution
• Improves water intake of weaners
• Can be administered directly by a 1:50 doser
• Aids digestion in weaners
To find out more contact
www.porknews.com.au
Australian Pork Newspaper, March 2018 – Page 13
require
“Agriculture
ues to kick goals but we are not immune to fluc- tuations,” Minister Little- proud said.
“Last year was a record- breaking season exceed- ing $60 billion for the first time, up from $48 billion when the current govern- ment came to office.
“Even with a forecast de- cline in 2017-18, the gross value of farm production is set to reach $59 bil- lion in 2017-18, with $47 billion worth of exports following average winter crop production.
“While not as high as 2016-17, that is an out- standing result.
“Farm production is forecast to rise over the next five years to $63 billion and the value of exports is forecast to in- crease to almost $50 bil- lion by 2022-23.”
What was a stellar out-
contin-
forward thinking
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