Pig producers and exporters are eyeing off new premium-paying markets in Asia to take Australia's clean and sustainably-credentialled pork.
The export sales push to appeal to a new cohort of consumers is being backed up by the pork industry's goal to go carbon neutral within four years.
In fact, Australian Pork Limited's latest strategic plan does more than simply target agricultural carbon emission cuts - it also wants consumers to notice the sector achieving zero farm waste by 2025.
That goal will reinforce its "clean and sustainable" marketing pitch to premium conscious shoppers who are now getting a taste for our pork in Japan, South Korea and other parts of Asia.
"Although we currently only export about 10 per cent of Australian production, new opportunities are opening in Korea, Vietnam and Japan to expand beyond our traditional export markets in Singapore and Hong Kong," said APL chief executive officer Margo Andrae.
"Japan represents a valuable market of choice for us, and sales to Vietnam and Hong Kong have made some notable gains in the past six months."
Swine fever opportunity
Australia's $5.3 billion pork industry estimates it has a window of opportunity to break into target markets left short of pig meat supplies after African swine fever swept through China and other countries in 2019 and 2020 causing the loss of more than a quarter of the global pig herd in 12 months.
The peak industry body has recruited a trade representative in Singapore to help exporters build new marketing bridgeheads in Asia.
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"At the risk of being seen taking advantage of the misfortune of pig producers overseas where African swine fever has decimated production, in the next few years we have a real chance to get consumers in high value markets like Japan familiar with Australian products," Ms Andrae said.
"Hopefully they keep buying from us for years to come."
Until now Japan had largely relied on imports from China.
"Our neighbours in Asia value safety as well as taste, texture, aroma and visual appeal, and they value different cuts and offal products which many Australian consumers don't necessarily recognise," she said.
"We're exploring how to extract more return from the whole carcase, including prospects in pharmaceutical and nutriceutical markets."
Domestic sales up
The export campaign would combine with a continuing domestic drive to encourage more Australian's to "get pork on their fork".
Fresh pork consumption rose from 10 kilograms per capita to 10.6kg last year, suggesting shoppers were more comfortable with the versatility, price, quality and home grown appeal of Australian pig meat.
The goal was to sustainably add another $1 billion to the industry's farmgate value by 2025.
To reinforce the message about our meat quality and our farmers' environmental awareness and animal welfare priorities, APL's strategic plan includes a push for widespread adoption of methane capture technology on farms to generate power from piggery effluent.
About 16 per cent of Australian piggeries now power themselves with gas from their effluent ponds.
APL also wants more re-use of treated piggery wastewater on farms, and potentially, use of manure waste to grow insect larvae as a source of fertiliser.
Pig industry carbon emissions have already fallen 70pc in the past 20 years and water consumption is down 80pc.
Greater use of supermarket and food factory waste as a liquified pig feed is also part of the industry's five-year agenda.
Non-meat products beyond their use by date, including, bread, fruit, cream, yoghurt and vegetables, are increasingly mixed into piggery rations.
Sustainability makes sense
Central Victorian producer Caleb Smith at Pyramid Hill said methane power and recycling food waste reflected consumers' expectations, and invariably made practical and financial sense.
"The community expects you to be proactive about the environment, and I feel pretty good about having a chance to do the right thing about sustainability," said Mr Smith, whose family's electricity generation efforts began more than a decade ago.
After covering the first of three effluent ponds on the Smith's 2000-sow enterprise, a succession of second hand Ford Falcon engines were converted to run on gas, generating about 50 kilowatts each.
"The technology has improved a lot in that time, making generators easier to set up and viable for producers with fewer than 400 sows," he said.
The Smiths also spent about $1m installing gear to mix dairy factory whey and food products exceeding their shelf life, including canned fruit and tomato paste, with the farm's 300 tonnes of weekly dried feed rations.
"We're using what previously went direct to landfill sites."
Support us, please
Ms Andrae said the Australian pork industry was demonstrating to the community worldwide its intention to have a leading social licence.
"To keep achieving our goals we hope governments will back us with enabling regulation that's supportive and proactive," she said.
"We'd certainly like to work with government in promoting any support initiatives or grants to encourage progressive sustainability agendas across agriculture."
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