October 27, 2004

RESTRUCTURE WAY OF THE FUTURE

Consultation with pork producers across Australia regarding restructure of the industry kicked off at the WA Pork Producers' Association (WAPPA) general meeting at Pastoral House last Friday.

According to WAPPA President Stuart Coole, the industry must commit to restructure along the supply chain to address challenges posed by subsidised imports and other factors impacting negatively on pork production in Australia.

Imports to WA from Denmark (1,618 tonnes) more than doubled in 2003/04, but Canada was still the major supplier with 53 per cent (1,846 tonnes). WA's pork industry contributed $105 million (gross value/farm gate) in 2003/04 to the WA economy and provided direct and indirect employment for 3000 people.

Pork producers, including (L to R front row) Graeme Moore of Yarloop,
Chris Brennan of Wongan Hills and Chris Keene of Gingin discussed the
Australian Pork Limited draft restructure plan at WAPPA’s general meeting.

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August 31, 2004

WAPPA AGM TACKLES BIG ISSUES

Record pigmeat import levels were the hot topic at the WA Pork Producers’ Association (WAPPA) Annual General Meeting last Friday.

WAPPA President and Boyup Brook producer, Stuart Coole said imports have reached an all time high of 6000 tonnes per month, twice WA’s monthly production.

“These import levels are putting further strain on an industry already hurting from falling prices, the high Australian dollar, high feed prices and a potentially damaging Import Risk Analysis.

“Producers have fortunately seen Singapore market share increase due to the high quality of product being produced in WA.

“Exporters and Department of Agriculture trade officials are constantly working on new marketing and export opportunities.

“The push for adoption of a home-grown labelling brand, to promote consumption of WA pork over imported produce, is also continuing.”

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June 30, 2004

FRAGILE FUTURES HANG IN THE BALANCE

With their already fragile futures hanging on an application in the Federal Court to set aside new quarantine conditions announced in May, WA’s 360 pork producers have expressed disappointment with the Australian Government’s rejection of a plan for short term financial relief to assist industry restructuring.

WA Pork Producers’ Association (WAPPA) President, Stuart Coole said it was especially disappointing because at the instigation of Agriculture Minister, Warren Truss, Australian Pork Limited (APL) had worked closely with senior Agriculture Department officials since February to design a support package to ease the crisis.

“During this time, the Minister was regularly involved and he displayed what we thought was a refreshing understanding of the industry’s difficulties, even expressing support for the need for some form of Government intervention.”

APL sought a one-off Income Support Payment to producers, totalling $36.5 million and based on equitable payments to all producers regardless of size.

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June 24, 2004

PORK PRODUCERS HOPE APPLE APPROACH BEARS FRUIT

WA’s 360 pork producers continue to pressure Federal and State governments in a bid to stop any relaxing of import protocols for pigmeat, which they claim will bring unwanted diseases and devastate their $112 million per annum production industry.

The WA Pork Producers’Association (WAPPA) recently met with representatives of WA Agriculture Minister, Kim Chance and the Department of Agriculture (DAWA), seeking support for a rigorous, independent review of Biosecurity Australia (BA) and the CSIRO analysis and import risk assessment (IRA) process.

Boyup Brook producer and President, Stuart Coole said the second such meeting with the Minister’s office in three months showed pork producers were “deadly serious”.

“We know our fate on this very serious issue is largely in Federal Government hands, but that won’t stop us soliciting support from whoever we believe can aid our cause.

“As yet, we’ve not seen any clear, decisive action on our behalf from the WA Minister’s office, but we’re hopeful that will change very soon.”

Mr Coole said he was aware that Minister Chance had recently advised WA’s 400 apple and pear producers, who are also questioning the validity of an IRA, that if risks were not adequately addressed, his Government and DAWA would vigorously pursue all means available to ensure biosecurity risks to WA were adequately addressed.

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June 18, 2004

QUARANTINE PROTEST GROWS ON NORTH COAST: MACDONALD

North Coast pork producers again rallied against a Federal Coalition plan to allow potentially disease-infected pig meat into the country, during a visit today from NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald.

A group of local producers met with the Minister, and Labor candidate for Page, Kevin Bell, who officially launched a petition calling for the decision to be reversed, at a property near Numulgi, north of Lismore.

“The Federal Government should be held responsible for its decision to accept Biosecurity Australia’s proposals to allow more pig meat imports,” Mr Macdonald said.

“The Risk Assessment does not consider economic impacts of the decision, so it is up to the Federal Government to consider that instead.

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June 10, 2004

WAPPA APPOINTS NEW EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Russell Cox is the new Executive Officer of the WA Pork Producers’ Association (WAPPA), replacing David McFerran, who now works for the Meat Industry Authority on the relocation of the Midland saleyards.

Announcing the appointment, WAPPA President and Boyup Brook producer Stuart Coole said extensive managerial experience and a wide range of skills made Mr Cox the preferred applicant in a strong field.

“WAPPA looks forward to moving to yet another level, with Russell’s understanding of management, business development, communications and corporate governance sure to serve WAPPA well.

“A key aspect of the position is to lobby government and industry on behalf of producers, and Russell’s experience working in a political environment, on the staff of a former Federal Minister, gives him an ideal background.”

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May 10, 2004

WA’S PORK INDUSTRY A ‘SACRIFICIAL LAMB’

With the Federal Government’s rejection today of all appeals against new import regimes for pigmeat, WA’s 360 pork producers have described their industry as a ‘sacrificial lamb’.

Boyup Brook producer and WA Pork Producers’ Association (WAPPA) President, Stuart Coole said the ill-advised decision put at risk an industry worth more than $100 million at the WA farmgate.

“Effectively, we have been sacrificed, on the altar of free trade.

“By not upholding appeals against Biosecurity Australia’s new import quarantine policy for pigmeat, the Federal Government has not only forever jammed opened the entry door to one of the world’s cleanest pork producing countries, but has opened the exit door for local producers already battling high costs and low returns.

“We’re all for free trade, but we’re all against letting in potentially disease riddled product from countries whose producers already benefit from distorted tariffs and government subsidies.

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March 31, 2004

PORK PRODUCTION A RISKY BUSINESS

Pork imports, Biosecurity Australia’s final Import Risk Analysis (IRA) and pig herd health status dominated discussion at the WA Pork Producers’ Association (WAPPA) second general meeting for 2003-04.

Two major outcomes were support for Australian Pork Limited’s appeal against the final IRA for imported pig meat and continued pressure for the introduction of country of origin labelling for meat.

Producers expressed anger at the possible introduction of the devastating Post-weaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome (PMWS) via imported pig meat

They called on the state government to support industry’s calls for a moratorium on imported pork from PMWS-affected countries until more conclusive scientific research was completed.

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March 3, 2004

WA PORK PRODUCERS THANK WA PORK CONSUMERS
Western Australians were today thanked for buying fresh pork, which has the fastest growing share of fresh meat on consumers’ plates for the third consecutive quarter.

WA Pork Producers’ Association (WAPPA) President Stuart Coole, of Boyup Brook, said producers were particularly grateful as many were threatened by low returns, record levels of frozen imported meat and uncertainty regarding import protocols.

“With recent WAPPA supermarket surveys showing WA pork is priced comparably to beef, lamb and chicken, this new national Roy Morgan consumer data showing increased pork consumption indicates that a majority of consumers are choosing pork because of its superior taste and eating qualities, not because of price differentials.

“This reflects positively on a national campaign run by Australian Pork Limited which re-positioned fresh pork as an exciting, easy-to-cook, nutritious meat and also that consumers have slowly been educated that fresh pork should not be over-cooked.

“In the past many consumers over-cooked pork, resulting in sometimes disappointing eating experiences. This, fortunately, seems to no longer be the case,” Mr Coole said.

The Roy Morgan national consumer data released today showed the number of serves of fresh pork purchased in the December 2003 quarter was up 22.2 per cent on previous December quarter levels and now accounted for 22.9 per cent of all fresh meat serves.

In the last quarter, fresh pork passed lamb for the first time and this quarter overtook fresh chicken for the first time.

Mr Coole said this sort of survey data clearly showed that fresh pork was quickly becoming the meat of choice for Australians.

February 27, 2004

WAPPA WARNS OF WA WASTELAND

Western Australia could become a pork 'wasteland' if post weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) enters the state.

Having killed millions of pigs in Europe, the untreatable disease now threatens New Zealand's pork industry after being discovered on 15 farms since last September.

The NZ Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) believes PMWS may have entered that country through pigs being fed imported, uncooked pig meat.

Last week the Australian government released, through Biosecurity Australia (BA), new quarantine standards for imported pigmeat, effectively ignoring the threat posed by PMWS and other diseases.

The WA Pork Producers' Association (WAPPA) fears a PMWS incursion would immediately add 15 per cent to production costs, effectively closing down an $80 million a year industry already battling tight margins.

WAPPA President Stuart Coole, of Boyup Brook, said the ill considered Australian government decision and the misfortune of NZ producers was a "lethal combination".

"WAPPA therefore demands to know why our federal government is willing to put at risk what is regarded as the world's cleanest pig herd.

"Aside from our freedom from many diseases affecting pigs in other countries, we are one of only three countries free of PMWS, so simply must stay that way."

Mr Coole called on Federal Agriculture Minister, Warren Truss to immediately ban the importation of uncooked pigmeat from countries affected by PMWS.

"Further, he should await the release of the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs Committee's public hearing into the draft import risk analysis for pigmeat."

February 20, 2004

The West Australian Pork Producers' Association (WAPPA) is extremely disappointed with Biosecurity Australia (BA) after they failed the Australian Pork Industry with the release of the new quarantine standards for imported pig meat yesterday.

WAPPA believe that the combination of the new quarantine standards and the current level of imports, with the projection of imports to continue to increase, the Australian Pork Industry will face an exotic disease outbreak in the near future.

WAPPA cannot understand why BA did not take on board information presented by CSIRO to the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs Committee's public hearing into the draft Import Risk Analysis (IRA) for pig meat that showed that under the new quarantine standards the Australian Pig Herd will be exposed to a 95 percent chance of an exotic disease outbreak inside 10 years.

WAPPA President Stuart Coole said WAPPA has no option but to seek a political solution to this incomprehensible turn of events.

‘Why has BA not waited for the Senate Committee to report on their public hearing?

‘Why is BA happy to compromise the health status of the Australian pig herd, that is acknowledged as the highest in the world, and put at risk the livelihood of thousands of Australians'

‘This decision does not just put at risk the jobs of producers but also those through the entire supply chain and WAPPA does not just think it is a production issue, it is also an animal welfare issue'

BA have ignored the science or lack there of, regarding post weaning multi-systemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) which was discovered less than 10 years ago and has recently been reported in New Zealand. PMWS has killed millions of pigs in Europe and currently Australia is free of the disease.

The Australian Pork Limited have estimated that an outbreak of PMWS in Australia would increase the cost of production for pork in Australia by 15 percent, this in WAPPA's opinion would make even the most efficient pork producers unviable.

Mr Coole said that February 19, 2004 will go down as the day BA and ultimately its masters the Australian Government was willing to put at risk the future viability of the Australian pork, apple and banana industries.

Executive Officer, David McFerran is joined by members of WAPPA’s new Executive team, including Peter McKenzie of the Great Southern Pig Company, Anne Graham of Pinjarra, Stuart Coole of Boyup Brook and Keith Ashton of Kojonup. Errol Howard of Wannamal was absent.