Page 19 - Australian Pork Newspaper

■ Letters to the Editor ■
It is the responsibility of those making submissions to ensure the correctness of their claims and statements. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher.
MY reason for writing this letter is to try to get Australian Pork Limited to represent and work for all pro- ducers, not just listen to a select few.
All the people I have spoken to have said these meetings were “a waste of time”, “poorly run” and “not relevant to producers”.
Spencer to lose focus and become complacent and need replacing.
big a burden on profits, and APL does not pro- duce an equivalent in- crease in income.
Our CEO is talking a lot about her willing- ness to communicate with more producers.
There was consider- able cost in running the meetings as consultants were employed.
The industry needs a progressive leader who has a full understanding of the pig industry and who can make tangible improvements to pro- ducer profitability.
My experience is she listens to a few in her inner circle and does not want to hear from the rest.
Again the CEO re- fuses to disclose the cost of holding these meetings.
Foot and mouth dis- ease would be equally or more disastrous to other livestock indus- tries than the pork in- dustry.
The facts are: She cancelled the publica- tions ‘Pork it up’ and ‘Pig Updated’ and did not consult producers, delegates or even Board members.
If the CEO is gen- uine in wanting more producers involved in decision-making, she should delay the Stra- tegic Planning process and seek further input from producers via emails.
Compounding this, a lot of good people have left APL in recent years and joined private enterprises in the pig industry.
The pig industry has a small budget and its revenue needs to be wisely spent in the most beneficial areas.
She has not even ad- vised anyone this has been done.
The CEO does not consult with producers or delegates regarding research projects.
With beef, lamb and goat selling for be- tween $8 and $11 per kilogram and pork at about $3.10, it proves the pig industry is the most vulnerable and suffers more price crises than others, and APL has no strategy to cope with any adverse situation.
APL spends a signifi- cant amount of money unwisely, including on staff taking first-class trips overseas, many of which could be consid- ered a waste of money.
Does not consult with producers or delegates regarding research pro- jects.
A select few decide on what research is done and results are poorly presented (if at all) to producers.
Many projects are ir- relevant to most pro- ducers.
I believe APL should seek input from all in- terested producers for research projects and be open with the selec- tion process.
I don’t think the CEO or Board acknowledge that all producers big and small own and fund APL and all producers should benefit.
Results of research are poorly publicised, if at all, with no cost- benefit analysis done.
Many situations can have a big impact on pig prices.
The recent round of APL Strategic Planning meetings for 2020-2025 were poorly attended, yet the CEO described them as a “great suc- cess”.
Despite my paying $500,000 in levies each year, the CEO refuses to acknowledge receipt of emails (a five-second task) and it can take four weeks to receive a reply.
As just one example, with new technology, we may see more pre- cooked pork imported.
If producers are not happy with what APL is doing and would like to see changes, then they need to express their concerns.
Facts are, 10 of the 26 planned meetings were cancelled due to lack of interest.
I think the CEO writes a lot in her communica- tions but says very little worth reading, often saying how proud she is of what APL is doing.
Sustainability in the pig industry should be APL’s highest priority and reducing our cost of production is an im- portant part of this.
The meetings held were mostly very poorly attended.
A producer selling 400 pigs a week will pay APL over $71,000 a year in levies.
I welcome comments positive and negative on this email: andrew. reilly95@yahoo.com
The CEO refuses to disclose actual number of producers who did attend – why?
The Board has a lot to answer to as well.
I believe this is too
Andrew Reilly
They then replaced him with someone who has no knowledge of the pig industry and may have been attracted to the position by the high salary.
A PL should be
ting more effort and money into improving producers’ profitability rather than worrying about being on the Anti- Dumping Commission, and should leave the culling of feral pigs to other bodies.
Oversupply is the ob- vious threat to prices.
Equally, if producers are happy with how APL is being run, I need to hear this and I will stop complaining.
put-
They allowed Andrew
Farmers herald official launch of trade negotiations with United Kingdom
NATIONAL Farmers’ Federation president Fiona Simson has praised the Federal Government’s focus on the interests of farmers as official ne- gotiations towards a free trade agreement between the United Kingdom and Aus- tralia begin.
access to high-quality Australian food, bever- ages and fibre.
“Australia’s regula- tory systems are world- class.
Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said se- curing benefits for Australian agriculture would be a top priority when negotiations be- tween the two countries officially got under way on June 29.
Of critical impor- tance to Australian farmers is the removal wherever possible, of tariffs, quotas and non- tariff barriers.
Ms Simson said con- tinuing to expand and diversify Australia’s trading profile was crucial to agriculture’s pursuit to supercharge the nation’s COVID-19 economic recovery.
As a collective, Aus- tralian farmers ex- port about two-thirds of what they produce and Ms Simson said expanded export mar- kets were key to ag- riculture’s continued growth.
The removal of these barriers is necessary to ensure Australian farmers can engage in fair and healthy com- petition with their UK counterparts.
“The farm sector and regional Australia are well placed to accel- erate a return to the economic prosperity Australians have be- come accustomed to,” she said.
“The UK-Australia FTA represents an op- portunity to build on what are already strong trade ties in the re- gion,” Ms Simson said.
“We know that what’s important to Austral- ians in terms of how our food and fibre is produced, is also im- portant to the people of the UK,” she said.
“Exploring new mar- kets and reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers is at the heart of ag- riculture reaching its potential.”
“Until the formation of the European Union in 1973, the UK was a primary export market for our agricultural ex- ports.
“Our standards in rela- tion to animal welfare, food safety, labour and the environment are ex- emplary, and are tailor made to suit the unique circumstances of Aus- tralian agriculture.
Ms Simson said the NFF was optimistic that negotiations could be concluded promptly so the benefits for both countries could be re- alised in these univer- sally tough economic times.
“And, afterwards as members of the Euro- pean Union, UK con- sumers have enjoyed
“We look forward to working with Minister Birmingham and the Federal Government over coming months to assist to ensure the priorities of Australian agriculture are front and centre in the nego- tiations.
“We look forward to our two governments arriving at an agree- ment that will allow UK consumers to con- tinue enjoying the Aus- tralian produce they have come to know and love.”
“We are firmly com- mitted to ensuring these standards are not compromised.”
Ms Simson said the shared history of the two nations meant the values held within the respective communi- ties were also shared.
“The NFF has a goal for agriculture to be a $100 billion industry by 2030, up from about $60 billion today.
“We also look for- ward to engaging with the UK’s agricultural sector with whom we already have a strong friendship.”
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