Page 7 - Australian Pork Newspaper

Successful research grant to further reduce
antimicrobial use in pork production
THE University of the natural appetite and concerning the selection tical ways to rear young
antimicrobial resistance external funding for a
project – cash plus in- kind contributions – is $3,835,847.
Queensland, the Uni- versity of Melbourne, the SunPork Group and DSM, together with sup- port from the Australa- sian Pork Research In- stitute Limited, have se- cured an Australian Re- search Council Linkage Program grant exploring the topic, ‘How to make antimicrobials in pig feed redundant, natu- rally’.
the capacity to digest nu- trients in piglets early in life.
of grains and pulses for in vitro work.
pigs with less reliance on antimicrobials, with ex- pected benefits for their productivity, welfare and health.
and reducing reliance on antimicrobials key issues for the Australasian pork industry.
major research project of critical industry-wide im- portance.
For further informa- tion as to how APRIL can function to support industry-led research and development for the Aus- tralasian pork industry, please contact APRIL Chief Scientist and CEO Prof Pluske on 0410 436 871 or j.pluske@april.org. au
The anticipated outcome is that the new perinatal program will result in minimal bacterial pro- liferation and diarrhoea, minimising the need for in-feed antimicrobials in piglets.
The involvement of DSM, a global animal nutrition and health so- lutions company, will be key to novel developments in the use of exogenous enzymes and feed addi- tives – gut environment modifiers.
A unique point of dif- ference between this pro- ject and many conducted previously is that the studies are based on the principle of enhancing the inherent physiolog- ical potential of the pig, that will naturally pre- vent the onset of certain diseases that would oth- erwise require antimi- crobial treatment.
Prof Pluske also com- mented that the applica- tion directly addressed a key transformational project objective in APRIL’s strategic plan, namely that of enhanced antimicrobial steward- ship in the Australian pork industry through targeted reduction of in- feed medications without adverse health conse- quences.
Total cash funding for the four-year project was $2,027,819, with the Aus- tralian Research Council contributing $852,000 and partners contributing an additional $1,175,519, of which $359,223 derives from APRIL.
Chief investigators on the project are Prof Eu- geni Roura, Prof Mike Gidley and Associate Prof Pat Blackall from the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, University of Queensland, and Prof Frank Dunshea from the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne.
The project will count on the expertise of DSM’s technical team lead by Dr Aaron Cowieson, Dr Anna-Maria Kluenter, Dr Maria Walsh and Geoff Handley.
The total value of the
The project will address a major concern in pork production, which relates to the use of in-feed anti- microbials and the asso- ciation with the develop- ment of antimicrobial re- sistant pathogens in pigs.
Prof Roura and Prof Dunshea commented that the project would adopt a holistic approach by ex- amining novel and prac-
APRIL CEO and Chief Scientist Prof John Pluske said the ARC Linkage grant was noteworthy and timely, with both
In this context, this suc- cessful grant is another example of APRIL part- nering with its members to successfully leverage
The overall aim of the project is to develop nu- tritional strategies aimed at reducing antimicrobial use in piglet feeds.
The in-kind contribu- tions of the SunPork Group will include exper- tise in pig feed formula- tion and pig husbandry practices, including ad- vice on responsible anti- microbial use and advice
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The project will consist of developing a novel nu- tritional strategy of natu- rally – through maternal conditioning – boosting
Improving COVID
safety at regional
workplaces
THE NSW Gov- ernment is helping businesses return to normal trade through the launch of a new suite of resources to guide businesses as they manage the risk of COVID-19.
nesses such as farms and agricultural busi- nesses, hotels, offices, construction sites and warehouses,” Mr An- derson said.
Deputy Premier and Member for Monaro John Barilaro and Minister for Better Regulation Kevin An- derson launched the resources at a farm in Hoskinstown and said the resources go a long way to supporting re- gional businesses in NSW.
“The materials avail- able include practical, inexpensive guidance to keep your workers safe during this time.
“Now that COVID restrictions are easing, it’s time to get NSW’s regional economy back up and running,” Mr Barilaro said.
“That’s simply not true so long as you have the right meas- ures in place.”
“I encourage every business to jump on- line and download these simple yet pow- erful tools to map out a safe way back to busi- ness that makes life easier for customers and workers as we make our way into re- covery.”
• Avoiding close con- tact in vehicles and lowering windows for ventilation;
Mr Anderson said these new materials have been specifi- cally created for non- customer facing busi- nesses to ensure eve- ryone across the state has access to industry- specific, practical guidance to prevent the spread of the virus.
• Communication over phone or radio rather than in person where possible; and
“76,957 businesses have already down- loaded the NSW Gov- ernment’s COVID Safety Plans, and we’ve now created additional resources for regional busi-
The new campaign materials including so- cial media tiles, down- loadable posters and checklists for all NSW agricultural businesses are available at nsw. gov.au/covid-19/in dustry-guidelines/agri culture
“Common miscon- ceptions for agricul- tural workers are you can’t ride in a car with others or that you can’t hire seasonal workers anymore.
Some of the meas- ures agricultural busi- nesses and farms can take include:
• Checking that workers are not dis- playing COVID symp- toms;
• Ensuring drivers assisting with loading stock minimise con- tact with surfaces;
• Contactless de- livery through elec- tronic paperwork rather than signature on delivery.
www.porknews.com.au
Australian Pork Newspaper, July 2020 – Page 7
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