Page 6 - Australian Pork Newspaper

Mummified pig foetus mailed into Australia
The Department of Ag- riculture, Water and the Environment reported that it recently inter- cepted a mummified pig foetus from inter- national parcels that people had attempted to send into Australia.
“A few years back we intercepted deer genitalia at Cairns Airport, which could carry animal bios- ecurity risks, including foot and mouth disease,” Dr Parker said.
cept food, meat and seeds. “These are some of the more common risk items we intercept at airports
DAWE acting head of biosecurity Dr Chris Parker said the pig foetus joined the list of prohib- ited items people have tried to bring into the country, via post or air- ports.
“Quails and other poultry can carry avian influenza, which is a se- rious disease of poultry and can cause high mortality in production birds.”
officers reviewed over 60,000 parcels at Aus- tralia’s international mail centres — 55,000 of these parcels contained seeds and 3000 contained pork products.
This list of recorded attempts at smuggling strange articles into Aus- tralia includes a taxi- dermy black bear, skinned frogs, horse dung, roasted otter and deer genitalia.
Though the number of people coming into Aus- tralia decreased signifi- cantly as a result of the pandemic, the volume of mail coming into the country was increasing.
Australia has strict pen- alties for breached bios- ecurity laws, and since 2019 authorities have cancelled 14 visas on bi- osecurity related grounds.
Charaen Pokphand Foods, geared towards biogas production at all pig farms in Thailand, is an example of the simplest way to capture biogas – placing a plastic cover made of polyethylene over treatment lagoons to form a gas-tight seal.
Reducing energy costs by managing inputs and outputs
Extension Officer
The more recent inter- cepts of pig foetus and freeze-dried quails posed a biosecurity and animal health risk.
“This means the bios- ecurity risks facing Aus- tralia will also increase,” Dr Parker said.
“This is why it is so im- portant that everyone fol- lows our biosecurity con- ditions when travelling or importing goods to Aus- tralia – including online shoppers,” Dr Parker said.
“While COVID has im- pacted on the number of passengers arriving, we have continued to inter-
For more information on Australia’s biosecurity laws, visit awe.gov.au
WITH the cost of energy rising by up to 40 per- cent in recent years, it is important for pork pro- ducers to consider alter- native sources of energy.
Depending on the use of the biogas, it may be dried, cleaned of corro- sive contaminants and then sent to a flare, boiler or a generator to recover useful energy.
Costs, carbon credits and renewable energy certificates
and mail centres.”
In 2020, biosecurity
When deciding what changes are suitable, producers may want to consider where energy is being consumed and the benefits of alternative energy sources, such as biogas.
Until recently, biogas had only been demon- strated to be viable for large commercial 1000 plus sow piggeries.
Consideration must also be given to the processes involved in implementa- tion and how best to tap into energy initiatives. Understanding energy in pig production
The largest energy con- sumption in piggery sheds comes from the heating of farrowing sheds and crates, with farrowing room heating consuming an average of 10kWh per pig per year.
up 6-9 percent of total shed energy costs, leaks, drafts and maintenance all influence the energy use and efficiency of a fan.
A case study, conducted by Australian Pork Lim- ited explored the viability of biogas for a small-scale 535 sows farrow to finish piggery, demonstrated the following inputs and out- puts required by a biogas system:
by ROWENA DAVIS
Measuring actual en- ergy consumed in the piggery can assist in re- ducing energy bills.
It’s also important to consider structure design and management when selecting a heat source to ensure energy and cost efficiency for heating the sheds.
• Shed lighting – farrow to finish and farrow to wean operations average 6 percent of total energy use of a piggery, and wean to finish operations average 2 percent.
• Capital costs $614,720
This can be done with easy-to-use tools such as a single-phase monitor, which measures specific pieces of equipment, in- cluding heat lamps, heat pads and small pumps.
Other measurable users of energy include:
Biogas and solar cells have the potential to re- duce electricity bills of piggery operations and reduce their carbon foot- print.
• Operating costs $17,004 – excluding desludging – estimated payback 6.3-7.7 years de- pending on finance
Circuit board moni- toring is a good way to compare the use of energy between individual sheds and help identify areas of the piggery where en- ergy efficiency can be improved.
• Pumping water – on average pumping water can consume 10 percent of total farm energy, de- pendent on pump effi- ciency, quality and main- tenance of lines.
• Estimated electricity savings $4598 per month
• Ventilation – making
Biogas is a source of re- newable energy that pork producers can use to re- duce or eliminate energy costs.
The amount of elec- tricity produced for the piggery resulted in the excess energy being ex- ported to the grid.
The benefits of biogas
sav- ings $50,000 per annum.
If not converted to biogas and utilised, methane can be respon- sible for up to 60 percent of total on-farm green- house emissions.
Hot water was also pro- duced, which was circu- lated through the under- floor heating systems.
or $55,170 per annum • Estimated LPG
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Producers can improve the environmental per- formance of their pig- gery and reduce energy costs by effectively cap- turing and burning biogas onsite, as well as gain income from electricity exports.
The case study showed moderate economic fea- sibility for biogas used in a small-scale farrow to finish piggery system.
The simplest way to cap- ture biogas is by placing a plastic cover – made of polyethylene – over treat- ment lagoons to form a gas-tight seal.
If you are looking to utilise a renewable energy system such as biogas and are interested in gener- ating Australian carbon credit units or renewable energy certificates, it is important to contact the Clean Energy Regulator before making any invest- ment decisions regarding the project.
The manure is broken down by microorganisms that produce a liquid, which can be used for ir- rigation, and solid sludge products that can be used as fertiliser and biogas.
If you commence the project before registering with the Clean Energy Regulator, you may not be able to earn credits or certificates.
The biogas produced by covered lagoons varies with seasonal tempera- ture changes – colder months provide 20 per- cent less biogas than the average yearly flow.
For technical informa- tion on any of these topics, contact Gemma Wyburn at gemma.wyburn@aus tralianpork.com.au
Page 6 – Australian Pork Newspaper, August 2021
The biogas is collected through sealed pipework under the cover and through the pond bank.
For a copy of the final reports, manuals or factsheets associated with any of these topics, contact Rowena Davis at rowena.davis@australian pork.com.au
www.porknews.com.au