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Each year pushes the boundaries of what we know and where we can go with research and in- novative approaches to pig health, nutrition, ges- tation, sustainability and welfare.
As usual piglet perfor- mance was also a key focus.
the industry were ex- plored from different in- ternational perspectives starting with Professor Anna Valros from the University of Helsinki.
Dr Mark Stafford Smith kicked off discus- sions about the various forces at play in the cli- mate change debate and the role of the Australian pork industry.
Dr Chantal Farmer shared research into de- velopment of sow mam- mary glands and the im- portance of utilising all functional teats to pre- vent regression in new- borns.
She discussed Finnish pig production and strategies for managing non-docked pigs by in- creasing space allowance and a strict quality assur- ance program that moni- tors biting frequency at slaughter.
He noted in particular the release of Australian Pork Limited’s sustain- ability framework as a great first step but urged the need to continue evolving targets to stay ahead of the debate.
Dr Tanya Nowland, winner of the 2021 Bat- terham Memorial Award for the most outstanding scientist in pig research this year, explored the benefits of establishing healthy gut microbiome in piglets starting with the birth pen.
Ashley Norval from Denmark explained management of umbil- ical out-pouchings due to limits at 1.5cm in 30kg piglet sent for grow out, and was joint APSA Medal winner along with Alec Truswell from Mur- doch University.
Dr Stafford Smith believes industry as a whole needs to adapt and lean into its strengths in order to survive the ac- celeration of change.
And Dr Darryl D'Souza presented a novel way of testing boars for chro- mosomal translocations which can lead to early foetal termination in
Dr Pat Mitchell was the winner of the APSA Fellow award.
With talks later in the
And Dr Nikki Kells from Massey Univer- sity highlighted an in-
Vol 25. No. 12 December 2021 Australian Pork Newspaper PO Box 162 Wynnum 4178 Phone (07) 3286 1833 Email ben@collins.media
It’s time to build future careers now
n Working in agriculture offers diversity
Point of View
by MARGO ANDRAE CEO
THE fourth agricul- tural revolution is coming.
peak industry bodies including the pork in- dustry.
The urgency of global climate talks, biosecu- rity threats and accel- eration of data and tech- nology is the sign that we must move with it.
For some time, de- scriptions of agricultural roles were out of date and didn’t reflect the hierarchy of roles that existed.
But as possibilities evolve and feeding the nation takes on new forms, it’s an exciting time to work in agri- culture.
in communicating these prospects to people who are hesitant about relo- cating to rural and re- gional areas and helping industry access skilled migrant workers com- pounded by COVID-19 restrictions.
2022 is a comprehensive profile of pork industry careers.
From June to October this year, APL provided detailed input to support the update of pork pro- duction occupations in the ANZSCO.
With National Agricul- ture Day recently, it’s an opportunity to celebrate the contribution of the Australian pork industry to our nation’s fabric.
The program will highlight a range of roles in the pork industry, re- quired experience and skills and links to other career pathways.
Thank you to everyone who helped inform the process.
Importantly it’s a chance to better connect consumers with where their food comes from and the people pro- ducing it.
A sustainable and ca- pable workforce as part of a prosperous and re- silient community takes time and investment to build.
It will also showcase examples of real people doing real jobs in the pork industry to sow the seed for future work- forces.
This will ensure it is fit for purpose and ac- curately represents the roles and hierarchy of occupations in pork production on farm and their associated skill and training levels.
So, at Australian Pork Limited we’ve been sharing the stories of the people we work with every day.
The number of grad- uate programs and skill development opportuni- ties in the pork industry are increasing, along with annual mentoring and leadership programs lead or supported by in- dustry.
And while we work hard to positively pro- mote opportunities, it is also important that government policies and programs are grounded in accurate descriptions that align with industry.
The updated ANZSCO will also enable industry to work with and lev- erage government pro- grams to attract future capability and provide better data about our industry’s labour, in- cluding through the census.
From commercial farming and research to processing and free- range family farming, there is no end to the range of careers along the supply chain.
But we also know it’s important to start the conversation about a pathway in agriculture from an early age.
Which is why a tar- geted update of the Aus- tralian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations an- nounced last month is so welcome.
This review was rec- ommended in the Fed- eral Government’s National Agricultural Workforce Strategy and funded through the 2021-22 budget, along with other measures that aim to help the agricul- tural sector secure, train and build its workforce.
When asked what they enjoyed most about their job and working in agri- culture, it was the diver- sity and opportunities for the future that keep them engaged.
That’s why we’ve been working with Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia to get our youth on farm in innovative ways.
The ANZSCO is used by government to under- stand and describe in- dustry’s labour market and careers to inform eligibility and priority for government policies and programs such as training, skills and mi- gration.
And yet despite this, the Australian pork in- dustry has faced sig- nificant difficulties at- tracting and retaining labour.
We’re updating teaching resources to help schools utilise our new virtual tour of the pork supply chain and see the types of careers they might do one day.
APL hopes to see gov- ernment continue to de- liver on these commit- ments, to help address agricultural workforce shortages and prioritise human capital in deliv- ering on industry’s 2030 goals.
However, this is not a unique situation in Australia’s agriculture workforce.
Also, in the pipeline for
This significant update has long been advo- cated for by agricultural
Part of the challenge is
Dr Tanya Nowland, winner of the 2021 Batterham Memorial Award, with Kate Plush.
APSA addresses pork
industry challenges
THERE was plenty of conference noting the around 6 percent of Aus-
food for thought at this year’s Australasian Pig Science Association Conference.
shrinking regions for grain growing in Aus- tralia, this focus on re- silience and adaptability will be critical for the industry’s continued suc- cess.
tralian boars.
Welfare challenges in
* continued P2
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