Australian pork reclaims weeknight dinners

“Again! … I guess we could make it a quickie.” In January 2020, Australian Pork Limited launched for the first time its cheeky advertising campaign showcasing pork as quick and easy to cook. However, with COVID-19 changing the world around us and with Australia thrown into lockdown, consumers’ shopping behaviours shifted. Supermarket meat cabinets emptied,…

Australians care where their food comes from

Research from the National Farmers Federation shows that almost one quarter of Australians said that COVID-19 had made them more conscious of where their food comes from. NFF president and Liverpool Plains farmer Fiona Simson said panic buying and temporary supermarket shortages had caused angst for many Australians. “It is logical that Australians have taken…

The importance of communication

I hope everyone has had a much-needed rest and a chance to relax over the festive season after a very challenging 2020, hopefully in preparation for a more prosperous, easier and healthier 2021. In the December issue of APN, I wrote about the situation of the mink industry in Denmark, which was devastating for producers…

Rabobank partners with Network 10 Farm to Fork cooking show

Agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank has announced it is partnering with Network 10 cooking show Farm to Fork. The bank, a global specialist in food and agribusiness and one of the leading providers of financial services to Australian agriculture, has joined with Network 10 and Farm to Fork’s producers Dual Entertainment as a partner in season…

How to support Australian producers when planning Christmas lunch

As the festive season draws closer, Australia’s supply of popular Christmas foods is plentiful even with disruptions to the food sector due to the pandemic. Predictions are for record demand this Christmas as international travel restrictions keep Australians at home. Taking off after the bushfires and continuing during the pandemic, producers hope the buy-local trend…

World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2020

A Joint statement was released in November by Australia’s acting chief medical officer professor Paul Kelly and the chief veterinary officer Dr Mark Schipp to mark World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2020. Antimicrobials are used against bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites, which can make us sick. Antimicrobials are also used in animal and plant health. So,…

Strategic intent and impactful outcomes

AS the year draws to a close, the winds of change seem to be in the air. Hopefully we’ll be able to take our masks off to breath it all in. Border restrictions have eased and with it my office outlook, as I make the move to Australian Pork Limited’s Canberra office. Retail and food…

Have your say on a new animal welfare act

VICTORIANS have the chance to help improve animal welfare in the state by shaping new legislation, with a Directions Paper setting out key proposals and options for a new Animal Welfare Act now available for public comment. Minister for Agriculture Jaclyn Symes recently encouraged Victorians to have their say on the options for the new…

New directors take the reins at GRDC

MINISTER for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management David Littleproud has appointed the next Grains Research Development Corporation non-executive directors for a three-year term, which commenced on October 1, 2020. Minister Littleproud said among the seven persons appointed, three are reappointments and four are new appointees. “The appointment of the next non-executive directors is paramount to…

Anti-viral properties of formic acid

AFRICAN swine fever is an important economic disease and in most countries, infections are notifiable by law to relevant authorities. First discovered in Africa in the early 1900s, ASF infects all breeds of pig, and impacts pork producing countries through severe mortality and bans on the export of pork products. Formic acid has been shown…

Pumping iron leads to heavier weights

WITH porker and baconer prices on the rise, all producers are primed on how to produce not only more pigs, but heavier kilo pigs at wean. It goes unsaid that the more robust and healthier a pig is at weaning, the less mortality and medication cost a producer should expect to invest, until time to…