Page 11 - Australian Pork Newspaper

COVID-19 update for pork producers
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AUSTRALIAN Pork Limited is active on sev- eral fronts in response to the rapidly evolving impact of COVID-19.
across the country, even upon the closure of state borders.
reassure shoppers of their ongoing access to quality, locally grown fresh food.
recipes and ideas for con- sumers who have pur- chased pork to eat at home.
through the COVID-19 response.
APL is committed to en- suring Australian pig pro- ducers and the wider pork industry are best placed to respond to the unfolding situation.
Furthermore, APL will remain in regular contact with state pork groups to communicate updates on national initiatives and re- ceive valuable local feed- back to help guide ongo- ing APL priorities.
NFF’s campaign includ- ed a full-page newspaper ad and a short video for social media.
A great eating experi- ence is always important, especially for those who don’t regularly prepare pork meals at home.
In the meantime, our in- dustry is being represent- ed at a number of high- level Federal Government working groups, convened by the Prime Minister, rel- evant Ministers and Com- monwealth departments.
We are encouraged by assurances from federal and state jurisdictions that agricultural supply chains, as essential services, will remain operational during any shutdown period.
State-based representa- tive groups are working with their respective state government to ensure our industry remains opera- tional, to maintain supply to consumers and to up- hold the wellbeing of the animals in our care.
Pork has also played a role in the broader mes- sage from agriculture, with pig producer Ean Pollard featuring in NSW Farmers’ campaign to re- assure consumers about the supply of fresh meat and produce.
In response to the spike in retail purchasing over the past few weeks, Fed- eral Agriculture Minister David Littleproud has committed to continue to work with industry to keep rural supply chains moving and safeguard Australia’s food supply.
Producers are encour- aged to consider how the Federal Government’s second round of COV- ID-19 support measures may apply to their busi- nesses.
Nonetheless, we will maintain a vigilant watch on anything that may compromise producer and processor operations.
As outlined in APL’s media release, foodservice outlets had experienced unprecedented downturns in business and many have since been forced to close.
APL has also welcomed Minister Littleproud’s an- nouncement that former Deputy Secretary of the Department of Agricul- ture Mark Tucker has been appointed as the key liaison between the de- partment and industry, to help ensure agricultural production and supply chains are maintained
A summary of the meas- ure is available at farm hub.org.au
APL is working closely with the National Farm- ers’ Federation and di- rectly with the Federal government to guarantee movement of livestock, food and farm inputs
Given much of the pow- er relating to these emer- gency situations rests with the states, the advocacy work being undertaken by state groups, for example in Victoria, is crucial.
Meanwhile, supermar- kets and butchers have seen high demand for easy-to-freeze meats like mince and sausages.
APL has also developed a guide for producers to manage the risks posed by COVID-19, a valu- able resource available at australianpork.com.au/ library-resources/news
APL is strongly promot- ing the National Farmers’ Federation’s campaign to
Accordingly, A PL’s Marketing team has com- menced work to promote
Further advice and in- formation will be shared
Potential impacts of coronavirus
AUSTRALIAN Pork Limited is working with our producer members and other supply chain stake- holders to ensure our industry is prepared for the potential im- pact of coronavirus and to minimise risk of disruption to sup- ply, operations and our workforce.
What is coronavi- rus?
All facets of Austral- ia’s meat industry op- erate to very stringent standards including HACCP, Good Manu- facturing Practice and Australian Standards, which are verified by state and federal food safety authorities.
Coronavirus (COV- ID-19) is a viral dis- ease, which can cause illness in humans and is spread through:
These standards in- clude ensuring pro- cessing establishments are routinely washed down and sanitised, and undergo a vari- ety of monitoring pro- grams to ensure hy- gienic operations.
• Close contact with an infectious person;
• Contact with drop- lets from an infected person’s cough or sneeze; and
Workers are required to follow strict hygiene and personal health policies and practic- es and wear suitable personal protective equipment as relevant, for example hair nets, beard nets, gumboots, aprons, full length pro- tective uniforms and gloves.
• Touching infected cough or sneeze drop- lets on objects and surfaces then touching your mouth or face. Can you get corona- virus from meat?
Well-respected inter- national agencies in- cluding the European Food Safety Authority and Australia’s Food Standards agency have confirmed there is no evidence coronavirus is transmitted in food. What is the Austral- ian pork industry doing?
Retail butchers are required to have de- tailed food safety plans in place to en- sure hygienic opera- tions.
The Australian pork industry is positioned strongly to respond to the challenges arising
Updates regarding COVID-19 can be found via the Federal Department of Health website health.gov.au
from COVID-19, giv- en the existing impor- tance of biosecurity, hygiene and food safe- ty through our supply chain.
can now be used to protect your pregnant and lactating sows
Whole herd protection against Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae. Now for your piglets and sows.
For more information, please contact your Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Territory Manager.
Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Australia Pty. Ltd. Level 1, 78 Waterloo Road, North Ryde NSW 2113. ABN 53 071 187 285. Ingelvac MycoFLEX® is a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH. All rights reserved. AUS/MFX-191028
www.porknews.com.au
Australian Pork Newspaper, April 2020 – Page 11