Canberra briefs – volatile position for chicken farmers

Mr Mahar said the news followed an announcement by Ingham’s of a statutory net profit of $59.1 million for the 2017 financial year, up 134.5 per cent for the period.

“It looks as if Queensland growers who supply to the plant will be faced with trying to secure a contract with another processor in the region or potentially ceasing production,” he said.

“It’s another challenge for our chicken growers who, across the country, are under pressure from, a whole range of factors including huge increases in energy costs, increases in feed and other input costs, consolidation across the supply chain, consumer price sensitivity and increasing farm labour costs.”

Mr Mahar said the NFF was becoming increasingly aware of the challenges facing the chicken-meat industry and was seeking to work closely with growers to identify potential opportunities.

He said they were also considering convening discussions with key stakeholders to ensure growers had transparency, certainty and security-of-investment to allow ongoing innovation and efficiencies.

The NFF also welcomed a move by the federal government to slash red tape and save agricultural exporters time and money, through the released of the draft Export Control Bill, for consultation.

The bill aims to consolidate 17 Acts and 40 legislative instruments governing the export of agricultural produce.

The farm export sector has 60 days to consider the draft legislative and provide feedback.

This week the Sheepmeat Council of Australia (SCA) launched the second round of a professional development opportunity for producers and industry members, to build leadership skills and develop networks.

The Sheepmeat Industry Leadership Program is part of the SCA and Meat & Livestock Australia joint initiative, ‘Building Leadership Capability for the Sheep Industry’.

SCA Industry Leadership and Communication Manager Kathleen Allan said SCA was hoping to build a pool of people with the skills and confidence to return to their businesses and communities and take on industry leadership roles.

The SCA leadership program is run by the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation,

Each of the 15 positions in the program is valued at more than $10,000 and covers all the training, course materials and travel to the two face-to-face sessions - participants will be required to contribute $500 to the cost of their participation in the program.

Applications close October 23 – more info at:

THE Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF) has announced that Elders will be the major partner for the Foundation’s 25th Anniversary Celebration on October 20 in Canberra.

ARLF CEO Matt Linnegar said “Our long-term relationship with Elders and their commitment to rural Australia, make them the ideal partner for our events”.

Elders Managing Director Mark Allison said supporting the development of leaders in rural, regional and remote Australia was “essential”.

“The impact of the program is evident throughout the Elders network, with thirteen of our leaders having completed the program,” he said.

The Council of Rural RDCs Chair Dr Michele Allan says the relaunch of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) as AgriFutures Australia represents a further evolution of Australia’s unique industry-government RDC partnership model.

“Since being established almost 30 years ago the Rural RDCs have demonstrated the ability and capacity to adjust and adapt as circumstances have changed, in response to the needs of industry, government, community and the environment,” Dr Allan said.

“AgriFutures Australia is a new and exciting stage for the RIRDC and the industries and partners it works with.

“AgriFutures Australia has a strong mandate to work collaboratively with other RDCs and research providers.

“This is a high priority for the Council, and we welcome the renewed vigour and focus as we collectively tackle the issues that cut across multiple industries and regions.”

AgriFutures Chair Kay Hull said the relaunch was more than just a name change, it represented the organisation’s renewed purpose and direction.

“Our new name signals a distinct path for our organisation - we have upended our thinking to be proactive in the face of a rapidly changing environment and to harness the many opportunities this presents to our organisation and the sector,” she said.

DEPUTY Prime Minister and Agriculture and Water Resources Minister Barnaby Joyce, and Infrastructure and Transport Minister and Gippsland MP Darren Chester, announced this week that $20 million in federal funding would soon flow for a project to modernise water infrastructure in the Macalister Irrigation District.

They said the funding delivers on a key election commitment under the federal Coalition government’s $500m National Water Infrastructure Development Fund.

“This project will overhaul outdated water infrastructure in the Macalister Irrigation District, delivering water savings that will be used to increase supply security and expand irrigated agriculture, generating a $10.3m increase in farm gate product each year,” Mr Joyce said.

“It is expected that this project will create 208 jobs during the construction phase and 100 long term jobs in the region as a result of increased farm production.”

Mr Chester said the project would ensure the water supply system was operating at its optimum and supporting more productive and profitable farm businesses.

“This is a real win for producers in our state’s largest irrigation district, who are already known for their world-class produce including dairy and horticulture products,” he said.

Mr Joyce also joined Victorian Nationals MP Damien Drum to announce funding for the Loddon Pipeline in Victoria, under the same program, that’s expected to generate about 130 jobs, and supply around 780 megalitres of water to enhance farm productivity.

Assistant Agriculture and Water Resources Minister Anne Ruston joined with Mr Joyce this week to launch the Export and Regional Wine Support Package.

The package is designed to deliver the largest and most sustainable export growth and strongest support for increased international wine tourism, they said.

FOOD Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) issued a statement this week saying a South Korean seasoned garlic and sesame bean paste product (Chung Jung One) has been recalled from NSW stores due to the presence of undeclared peanut.

FSANZ CEO Mark Booth said anyone with a peanut allergy or caregivers of people with peanut allergies should check whether they had the product in their homes.

Mr Booth said food regulatory agencies in several states were also investigating and testing other similarly branded bean paste products from the same overseas manufacturer and more recalls may occur.

“We know of at least one reported case of a person suffering an anaphylactic reaction to the product, so it is vital that anyone with a peanut allergy knows about this recall and the potential for other bean paste products from South Korea to be recalled,” he said.

“We will update information as soon as it comes to hand from enforcement authorities.”

A further announcement of an expanded recall is expected today.

PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull visited the Snowy Hydro scheme this week to push forward on the federal government’s plans to reduce electricity costs, including for farmers, by providing additional sources of cheaper energy supply.

“What we are announcing today is that ARENA is contributing $8 million to the $29 million feasibility study that Snowy Hydro is undertaking, the work on Snowy Hydro 2.0,” he said.

Mr Turnbull said the Tantangara reservoir would be connected to the Talbingo Reservoir as part of electricity generating scheme’s development.

“This will be the biggest pumped hydro scheme in the Southern Hemisphere at 2000 megawatts,” he said.

“When it is doubled to 4000 megawatts as I’m sure it will be in the future and indeed it could go up to 8000, this will be the biggest pumped hydro scheme in the world.

“Now this is vitally important to ensure that Australians have affordable and reliable electricity.

“This is an example of economics and engineering forming policy and planning, as opposed to ideology and idiocy, which we have seen from our opponents.”

AUSTRALIAN Livestock Exporters’ Council Chair Simon Crean says months of collaborative planning and industry preparation in the lead-up to busy religious festivals in key Muslim markets reflects Australia’s long-term commitment to a sustainable livestock export trade.

Mr Crean said the annual spike in demand for live animals for the Festival of the Sacrifice, due on September 1, presented challenges for livestock exporters and their importing customers.

But he said in-market preparation had boosted the industry’s confidence that the 2017 festival would deliver further progress in the management of Australian livestock during the annual celebrations.

Mr Crean said significant year-on-year improvements in the handling and processing of Australian livestock were facilitated by long-term planning by Australian exporters, in collaboration with in-market supply chain partners.

“Not only does the Festival of the Sacrifice (known as Eid al-Adha in the Middle East and Korban in South East Asia) place considerable pressure on Australia’s world-leading control and traceability livestock systems, it also places increased attention of the integrity of our supply chains,” he said.

“Our industry welcomes that scrutiny because we are proud of the continuous improvements we’re achieving and we do not shy away from the challenges and risks inherent during these busy periods.”

ASSISTANT Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister, Luke Hartsuyker, met with the Confederation of Indian Industry in Chennai this week during Australia Business Week in India, to discuss the business and trade environment in India and challenges and opportunities for India’s agri-food sector.

“Australia and India share a strong and cooperative relationship and there are exciting opportunities for us to further strengthen these ties and to expand trade and investment links between our nations’ food and agriculture sectors,” he said.

“India’s domestic agri-food demand is expected to increase by 136 per cent between 2009 and 2050 reflecting strong income and population growth.

“Australia understands the strong priority that India places on increasing its food security and agricultural productivity and I believe there are many mutually-beneficial opportunities for our agri-food sectors to support India in this.

“The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources is currently in talks with India to support a proposed MoU between Sugar Research Australia and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s Sugarcane Breeding Institute - this will be a partnership between the world’s second and third largest sugar exporters.”

Mr Hartsuyker also hosted a dinner where Australian blueberry and sheepmeat products were sampled by potential importers.

“Judging by the reaction to the high quality Aussie produce at the dinner, sponsored by Meat and Livestock Australia, there will be a lot of interest in developing a strong consumer base in India,” he said.

“It was great to see the food retailers and the hospitality industry in Chennai so receptive to the Australian lamb and blueberries that were centre stage on the menu.

“It was a great springboard from which to build commercial relationships for these commodities into the future.”

Australia hosted a meeting of senior officials from the remaining 11 Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) countries in Sydney this week to try and keep the deal alive, following the US withdrawal earlier this year.

Trade Minister Steve Ciobo said leaders from TPP countries would also discuss the progress of bringing the deal into force at the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in November in Vietnam.

“Bringing the TPP into force would link 11 countries, including four of the world’s top 20 economies, with a combined GDP of $12.4 trillion,” he said.

“The Agreement would deliver access to new markets for our farmers, services suppliers and goods exporters.

“It would drive trade and investment in our region, and contribute to our economic growth and create new jobs.”