PORK Queensland Inc wishes Queensland pork producers a happy, safe and prosperous 2020.
Queensland update
With reasonable prices, Queensland producers have endured the ongoing drought and impacts on prices and look forward to stability of prices to maintain their sustainability. Apart from the drought impacts, producers are reviewing their biosecurity arrangements in the face of the potential African swine fever threats. While the Queensland Government has increased the penalties for trespass and farm invasions, we continue to see activities from the extremists.
PQI will continue to push for greater recognition by the courts of the impacts on farms and farmers. The increase in penalties is fine but until it brings criminal charges that are aligned to the incredible impacts on families and the welfare of pigs, PQI will push the case.
A new director
PQI is pleased to announce the appointment of Tracy Anderson as a director. Tracy was elected at the recent AGM and replaces the retired John Riley. The PQI Board looks forward to Tracy’s input to provide the Queensland pork industry representation.
Background
Tracy Anderson is an owner/manager of Anderlea Pork, a 500-sow farrow to finish operation in the South Burnett, Queensland. Tracy, her husband Peter and their three children live on farm and she is passionate about the future of Australian family farms. Before becoming a pork producer, Tracy was born and raised in remote western Queensland on a sheep property, with agriculture and livestock part of her upbringing and values.
After graduating high school, she completed a Bachelor of Teaching and Education and worked across regional Queensland and overseas as a teacher and principal. In 2003, Tracy and Peter married and she moved to the family farm to start a family. Tracy slowly learnt the ropes of the pork business while juggling raising three children and teaching part time, but fully embraced a shift to become a director with Anderlea Pork and work full time in the family business in 2014 as the office manager.
She believes it was the best decision she could have made and has welcomed the learning and opportunities it has brought. Tracy has also embraced other roles within the Pork industry in recent years, including:
- Director and chair of the Board for Riverbend Pork Group (a pork producer group company) 2017-current;
- Graduate of the 2018 APL Leadership Program;
- APL delegate in 2019;
- Australian Pork Young Leaders steering committee member 2019; and
- Director for Pork Queensland Inc 2019.
Tracy is very optimistic about the future of the pork industry. “Although there are challenges for us all, including feed, water and biosecurity – the pork industry is the most resilient and ‘get on with it’ industry I know, and I love that about us,” she said. “We will tackle the challenges and embrace the opportunities because that’s what we do.
“I believe we have some exciting times ahead in the next few years and look forward to it.”
The key 2020 focus
PQI is encouraged by the uptake of membership renewals and looks forward to additional new memberships to assist the organisation in continuing to provide representation on your behalf. To assist the function of the Board and to ensure key issues are aligned to industry needs, the board has invited two young and active producers to attend PQI board meetings in a non-voting role to broaden the industry outlook.
To this point the Board welcomes Paul Maguire and Aaron Scheid to their roles. As president of PQI I am also pleased to advise of my appointment to the Ministerial Biosecurity Task Committee. This appointment will provide a direct alignment of industry impacts as a result of any biosecurity issues that may face our industry. If you wish to support PQI through membership as a producer or an associate, please contact me directly on 0407 622 166 or any of our directors: Robyn Boundy, Paul Taylor, Laurie Brosnan or Tracy Anderson.
Again, best wishes for 2020 and good rain in the not too distant future.
