Page 13 - Australian Pork Newspaper

Gorman-Rupp selected at Southern Meats
SOUTHERN Meats Pty Ltd is a hi-tech sheep and lamb pro- cessing facility strat- egically located just south of Sydney where the business has access to sheep grown in the healthy environment of NSW’s Southern High- lands region.
The company provides quality meat to the lo- cal market and export around the world thanks to high-tech automated equipment in slaughter- ing, boning, chilling, freezing and rendering facilities.
In line with a quality approach to processing,
the plant did not want its operators spending needless time attending to unreliable equipment in wastewater treatment systems.
So when the team went looking for a dependable and reliable wastewater pump to deliver 50lp/s- plus to the treatment area, they looked no fur- ther than Gorman-Rupp.
Gorman-Rupp is the world leader in self- priming pump tech- nology, particularly in wastewater pumping ap- plications.
Being able to mount the pump at ground level (and not in the wet well)
means the pumps are safer and more conveni- ently accessed by opera- tors.
Additional safety fea- tures built into the pump are designed to protect operators and the pump from damage.
By using self-priming pumps, asset owners don’t need to buy rated lifting chains or have the yearly burden of inspec- tion or replacement as they would if using sub- mersible pumps.
And because wet well lids remain closed, the need to have fall protec- tion equipment such as anchorage points, body
support, connectors and descent/rescue equip- ment is greatly reduced (some of these items requiring annual trips back to the manufacturer for service/inspection).
Plant engineer Mick Speering is very pleased with his purchase and happy to recommend Gorman-Rupp pumps to anyone wanting a qual- ity wastewater pump.
More information on Gorman-Rupp pumps can be obtained from Hydro Innovations at info@hydroinnovations. com.au or hydroinnova tions.com.au
Farmers are frontline defenders against antimicrobial resistance
FARMERS have a vital role to play in stemming the spread of antimicro- bial resistance among disease-causing patho- gens, and can make a significant contribution simply by adopting good hygiene practices during their day-to-day farm operations.
This was the message the UN’s Food and Ag- riculture Organization stressed recently, as the international community marked World Antibiotic Awareness Week.
The responsible use of antimicrobial medicines is not just an issue in the human health arena.
Antimicrobials are also widely used for domestic animals and on fish farms and are even dusted on crops and fruit orchards to combat infections that affect animals and plants grown for food.
These life-saving medi- cines are sometimes add- ed routinely to feed, even when animals are already healthy, to try to stave off infections and fatten ani- mals faster.
This poses a number of problems, which is why FAO is calling on farmers to replace this poor prac- tice with better hygiene measures to prevent infec- tions and extend the lifes- pan of antimicrobials – a critical, limited resource.
Improper use of antimi- crobial medicines, such as antibiotics, in both human and animal healthcare has contributed to an in- crease in the number of disease-causing microbes that are resistant to these treatments, developing an- timicrobial resistance that renders them useless for curing some infections.
This means diseases that can affect people or animals (or both) – and which can cause seri- ous economic damage to farmers – are more dif- ficult, sometimes impos- sible, and frequently more expensive to treat.
FAO Assistant Director- General Bukar Tijani said, “Antimicrobial resistance is a concern for all of us.”
“There are over 7 billion consumers in the world, and food safety and qual- ity are paramount to suc- cess in meeting many of the 17 Sustainable Devel- opment Goals.”
Farmers are the front- line defenders
FAO Chief Veterinary Officer Juan Lubroth said, “When we use anti- microbials excessively on farms, we’re contributing to the spread of AMR, as resistant pathogens move into the environment through animal waste and www.porknews.com.au
farm run-off.”
“They can even con-
taminate our food systems and market chains, mov- ing from the fields and stables to our tables.”
Lubroth called farm- ers “one of the important frontline defenders” in the battle to contain the grow- ing threat of AMR.
There are three simple steps farmers can take to make a major difference, and though stronger infec- tion prevention measures take some investment, cleaner farming can also yield better profits.
These steps include practicing good farm hy- giene, getting veterinary advice before buying and using antimicrobials, and comparing notes with neighbours in order to spread best practices.
He also underlined the role farmers must play in demanding quality ani- mal feed without added antibiotics or other anti- microbials.
Top tips for good farm hygiene
Clean stalls, coops, fish tanks and farm equip- ment regularly to get rid of the germs that can make animals and peo- ple sick.
Wash hands and boots thoroughly before and af- ter contact with animals and change your clothes and shoes when working with livestock.
Keep animal housing and outside areas clean and waste-free – clear ma- nure and bedding often.
Control who can come into contact with your ani- mals and make sure they clean up before and after doing so.
Practice the ‘all in, all out’ approach.
This means raising ani- mals of the same age at the same time, and keep- ing these generations of animals together at all stages of production.
This makes it easier to contain waste and clean farms when they are moved or sold.
Keep feed dry and stored safely away from potential sources of germs such as rodents.
Keep animals dry and comfortable with plenty of space.
Lowering animal stress reduces their risk of infec- tion, as does feeding them well and making sure they have clean water.
Vaccinate in consulta- tion with your vet.
Timing matters.
Separate animals when they get sick to prevent disease spread and seek veterinary advice right away to ensure the correct diagnosis and treatment.
A growing threat
One person dies every minute from a drug-resist- ant infection, and without global action, this number will only rise.
By 2050, the growing AMR threat will cost the global economy an esti- mated $6 trillion dollars every year.
AMR also has major implications for food safety, food security and the livelihoods of millions of farming households across the planet, who can ill afford production loss- es, the costs of caring for sick animals, or the loss of livestock.
“If we are to feed a growing population and keep antimicrobials work- ing, we need to invest in our farmers and food pro- duction systems to shift to more sustainable agricul- tural practices,” Lubroth said.
FAO is working around the globe to help govern- ments, agricultural and animal health authorities, and livestock producers build their capacity to ad- dress AMR, with strong support from the United States Agency for Inter- national Development, the Russian Federation’s Ministry of Health, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and the United Kingdom’s Fleming Fund as well as from China, France, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.
Visit our website to view the current edition as a digital flip book or to download a PDF.
www.porknews.com.au
Australian Pork Newspaper, December 2018 – Page 13