Page 7 - APN June 2017

Working on clearing stock in the system
The abolition of the 457 visa
ON April 18, 2017 Prime Minister Mal- colm Turnbull an- nounced the 457 visa would be abol- ished, taking effect in March 2018.
Prime Minister Turnbull also an- nounced the introduc- tion of a new tempo- rary work visa called the Temporary Skill Shortage visa.
Mr Turnbull stated this change needed to be introduced to strengthen the integ- rity and quality of Australia’s temporary and permanent em- ployer-sponsored visa programs.
What can be done to minimise the effect of the new changes?
The following op- tions are available:
1. The 457 option may be used until March 2018.
2. The 407 visa, a vi- able option, would al- low producers to hire overseas workers who can be trained in the workplace. By using
the 407 visa, employ- ers would be able to build a pool of quali- fied workers who may progress to the Tem- porary Skill Shortage visa.
3. Producers may continue to use the 187 visa, also known as the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme.
4. The final option would be to use a la- bour agreement. This would be a safe alter- native in the current immigration climate. With a negotiated la- bour agreement for a period of three years, a producer would have peace of mind that the business has access to skilled workers. The employer may renew the labour agreement for a second term and may negotiate the in- clusion of the perma- nent residency option for temporary employ- ees.
Estelle McNally Global Skilled Em- ployment Services Director
MOST people who talk with me now agree there is too much stock in the system, both on farm and in cold stores.
The debate about the combination of factors that have caused the pig price reduction in 2017 will continue for some time and of course, we should register what we can learn to avoid this happening in the future.
Right now though, we need increased volume sales, and historically both Australian Pork Limited and I have said the marketing levers we have access to do not drive immediate sales.
Immediate sales are driven by being available in more places and at low- er prices to the consumer.
However, when needs must...
So there are a lot of ac- tivities, both within and outside APL currently oc- curring to try to encour-
age people who can stock pork more broadly and/or offer consumers even bet- ter value for money.
One thing that is hap- pening is some processors and smallgoods compa- nies have started buying Australian stock at im- ported prices, which is helping the industry’s cur- rent situation in volume.
The APL team, in con- junction with all the major retailers and their suppli- ers, is working to increase the level and frequency of pork promotion in retail channels.
In fact, APL is working with major retailers and supply chains by offer- ing to highlight in-store promotions with special television advertisements highlighting those promo- tions.
The first few of these will be seen in major cit- ies in the coming weeks.
These will feature the pork roast versatility
ad, pictured.
The foodservice team
at APL has been equally busy, connecting with major catering companies and fast food chains all over the country.
In the past week alone we have been encouraging companies in Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney to increase their usage of pork.
Finally, following re- search in Hong Kong and export abattoirs partner- ing with APL to promote protocol agreement with China, the international team (which includes most export abattoir rep- resentatives and APL) is working on how to in- crease international sales in both the short and long term.
Clearly, we are not out of the woods yet, but all parties in the industry are working urgently to get us there as quickly as pos- sible.
Marketing Matters
by PETER HAYDON General Manager Marketing
Kym 0439 066 054 kym@nationalfeedsolutions.com.au
Luke 0439 066 006 luke@nationalfeedsolutions.com.au
Bill 0499 009 293 bill@nationalfeedsolutions.com.au
A snapshot of the pork roast versatility ad.
Local knowhow. Global knowledge.
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Australian Pork Newspaper, June 2017 – Page 7
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