Stock Standardthe

Newsletter of the Victorian Farmers Federation Livestock Group September 2017

Inside this issue j Biosecurity Awareness Workshops

j Protecting more than just your livestock

j Call for non-executive director applications to the Sheep Producers Australia board

j Bushfires and Natural Hazards

j Calling all budding wool industry leaders - Breeding Leadership is for you

j WoolProducers Australia calls for nominations for independent directors

VFF Livestock welcomed the recommendations aimed at improving transparency and accountability throughout the value chain including those around objective carcass management.

“It’s clear from the evidence tabled throughout the inquiry and the ACCC beef market study that behaviours from certain players within the industry weren’t enabling a fair and transparent market where all participants are able to flourish”, VFF Livestock President Leonard Vallance said.

“It’s vitally important that the entire value chain is sustainable and that anticompetitive practices are stamped out and we implore the national industry bodies to get on board and implement the senate committee recommendations 1 to 3 and the ACCC recommendations or the regulatory axe will come down”, Mr Vallance said.

However, VFF Livestock are looking for further clarity on recommendations relating to industry representation and the Red Meat Memorandum of Understanding.

Its clear recommendations 4 to 7 are born out of frustration of industry’s unwillingness

Southern livestock industry calls for change Victorian cattle producers are demanding a crackdown on anti-competitive behaviour across the livestock supply chain following the release yesterday of a landmark Senate report that slammed the lack of transparency in the red meat industry.

to act on the ACCC recommendations, but we advise against undertaking another review into the industry. We need to be rational.

Surely after eight inquiries into the red meat industry in the last 17 years we have enough evidence to suggest something’s wrong and there needs to be change.

There needs to be a realignment of priorities back to grass roots and equity in whole of industry representation because for too long southern producers have not had their voices listened to at the national table and these recommendations are a symptom of this.

The VFF recognise that the restructure of Cattle Council of Australia has stalled and the implementation committee has failed to deliver meaningful change.

As a founding member of Cattle Council, the VFF call for the immediate dissolution of the implementation committee and an urgent meeting of state livestock chairpersons to lead the change process towards a unified and sustainable structure truly representative of industry.

To enable this change the VFF will continue its work in moving to a more modern structure that provides representation for all Victorian livestock producers.

As Victoria’s peak industry body, VFF Livestock will continue to explore farmer representative model that would act as a conduit for the national peak industry bodies.

Mr Vallance thanked the senate committee for the work conducted over the last two and a half years.

“Victorian livestock producers are thankful of the hard work of the committee, especially Senator Bridget McKenzie, who has tirelessly championed the cause for southern producers”.

The final senate committee report including recommendations can be found here: http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Rural_and_Regional_Affairs_and_Transport/RedMeat45/Report

The Stock Standard September 2017Newsletter of the Victorian Farmers Federation Livestock Group

There has been a major surge in cases of Q Fever right across Australia, putting anyone who works with livestock at risk. The disease is carried by animals like cattle, sheep and goats and can result in serious illness when passed onto humans. This can range from extreme flu-like symptoms that last from two to six week, to chronic conditions that require hospitalisation and can lead to long-term complications.

TALK TO YOUR GP ABOUT A Q FEVER VACCINATION.

The only certain way to avoid becoming infected is to be vaccinated. If you are a farmer, work in an abattoir, transport animals or have any other employment associated with livestock, talk to your GP or contact the Australian Q Fever Register to find an accredited vaccinator.

IT’S SERIOUS.IT’S SPREADING.AND EVERYLIVESTOCK WORKERIS AT RISK.

JUST CALL 1300 882 833 OR VISIT www.qfever.org

The Stock Standard September 2017Newsletter of the Victorian Farmers Federation Livestock Group

Biosecurity Awareness WorkshopsLivestock Biosecurity WorkshopWhere: NewsteadWhen: Wednesday 20 September 2017

Livestock Biosecurity WorkshopWhere: NullawilWhen: Thursday 21 September 2017

Livestock Biosecurity WorkshopWhere: HorshamWhen: Monday 16 October 2017

Stock up: a practical guide to biosecurityWhere: TallangattaWhen: Friday 20 October 2017

Stock up: a practical guide to biosecurityWhere: WhittleseaWhen: Wednesday 15 November

Stock Up: a practical guide to biosecurityWhere: EllinbankWhen: Tuesday 5 December 2017

MLA grainfed levies are helping fund a research project that will refine DEXA technology for the beef industry and ensure it delivers more accurate descriptions on the value of cattle.

Installation of the nation’s first commercialised beef DEXA machine is underway at Teys Australia’s Rockhampton plant and is expected to reach completion in November 2017, which is when testing on the unit is set to begin. The separate objective carcase measurement project, focusing on lean meat yield and eating quality, will then commence in January 2018.

The research is partly supported by the Australian Government’s Rural R&D for Profit programme in consultation with the Australian Lot Feeders’ Association and MLA.

Leading the project is Dr Graham Gardner from Murdoch University, Principal Investigator of the ALMTech Project (Advanced measurement technologies for globally competitive Australian meat).

Dr Gardner said the research at Rockhampton involves calibration and proofing work with the technology and would be central to the successful rollout of beef DEXA systems to the red meat industry.

Testing for reliability and consistency“DEXA needs to be able to determine bone, muscle and fat in any carcase that it looks at, so whatever the length and breadth of weight and fat range in the Australian herd, we need to calibrate the technology to cover them all,” Dr Gardner said.

“We’ve already scanned 50 carcases across a wide weight and fat range at Brooklyn using Teys’ ‘DEXA in a box’ system, and that has allowed us to create a working algorithm so we can roll it out straight away when we start the project in Rockhampton.

Carcases will be going through a continuous production process, so researchers will be measuring carcases and testing the technology on a variety of cattle with different fat and weight ranges.

“Initially, we will be doing repetition tests and training the device to predict important cuts that they market. Dr Gardner said.

“Once the CT scanner is in place, we will be training it to have the ability to predict carcase composition.”

Adding value for producers and processorsDr Gardner said the technology offered many potential benefits to the red meat value chain.

The device will predict the proportions of bone, muscle and fat and will do so with more reliability and precision than what rib fat or P8 assessments currently provide.

“That improved precision and accuracy of measurement will give more transparency to producers. It will provide better feedback and precision management on-farm in response to data. Enhanced feedback systems will provide producers with new information to improve compliance to market specifications.

“Some supply chains may choose to trade upon that, but what I can facilitate is improved feedback and we will look to work with Livestock Data Link or a company’s feedback system to achieve this.

“For processors, it will provide them with new tools and data to enhance efficiency, and improve their capacity to allocate product to the most valuable market end-point.”

Looking aheadDr Gardner said while a fixed time had not been set to complete the project at Rockhampton, it was hoped a significant data set would be in place by mid-2018.

“We will then need to look at doing further calibration work at other sites where more Bos taurus cattle are processed,” Dr Gardner said.

Looking ahead, Dr Gardner said it was up to the red meat industry to decide how it would use the objective measurement technology the project was helping to deliver.

“I can provide the solutions and encourage their use, and that’s exactly what I intend to do, but as to when it will be available to producers is a question for the supply chain and not something I can answer. It’s up to them to get together and discuss how they feed the information through to producers,” Dr Gardner said.

More informationA demonstration of DEXA technology will also feature at Australian Lot Feeders’ Association’s SMARTBEEF Conference on 2–3 November, 2017.

For more information on SMARTBEEF, visit the event website where you can also register and view the program: www.smartbeef.com.au.

Source mla.com.au

Project to test DEXADEXA, or Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry, is a tool which provides timely, accurate and objective information on the lean meat, bone and fat composition of beef and lamb carcases.

The Stock Standard September 2017Newsletter of the Victorian Farmers Federation Livestock Group

Protecting more than just your livestock

That being said, there are countless reasons why you should make the extra time and the number one reason is you.

Your livestock are vaccinated to protect against a variety of diseases, but how much thought goes into protecting you and your employees from zoonotic diseases, those that can pass from animals to humans?

They can be transmitted from a range of animals including wildlife, livestock and even household pets.

Some of the well-known zoonotic diseases involved in livestock production include Q fever, Leptospirosis, Anthrax and E.coli, to name a few.

The most common causes of infection include:

Ü Breathing in tiny particles when coming into contact with animals or carcass. These tiny particles can be found in the dander of an animal or in the bone dust when opening a carcass.

Ü Coming into contact with bodily fluids such as urine, faeces, saliva and birth fluids. This can be through direct contact, such as helping an animal to birth, or coming into contact with water or soil contaminated by the animal.

It’s important to have simple preventative measures in place to reduce the risk of contracting a zoonotic disease. Think about the livestock you run and identify which diseases could pose a risk.

How effective are your practices around:

Ü personal hygiene such as washing hands, not eating or drinking in the yards or shearing sheds

We know all too well when dealing with livestock that extra safety measures could be taken but time just doesn’t seem to allow for it.

Table1: Common diseases that can cause serious health problems in humans. Source: MLAs More Beef from Pastures and Making More from Sheep.

Disease How it spreads Common signs in people

Leptospirosis Urine contamination with skin or mucosal surface

Headache, chills, fever, muscle pain malaise, inflamed throat/pharynx

Q fever Inhalation of aerosols and dust Headache, chills, fever, muscle pain malaise, coughing, vomiting

Anthrax Respiratory, ingestion or local through break in skin

Respiratory or gastrointestinal forms has very high mortality rate as doses local skin infection if left untreated

Salmonella Faeco-oral route Acute watery/blood flecks diarrhoea, fever, headache

Ringworm Direct contact with skin or from cattle handling equipment

Dry, reddened skin, hair loss, inflamed skin

Hydatids Humans ingest hydatid tapeworm eggs from dogs; people can become infected from cysts in sheep

May not be obvious for some time but signs depend on where cysts occur

Ü wearing appropriate personal protective equipment to prevent contact with infected animal material when undertaking certain tasks

Ü avoiding contact with a carcass if death occurs suddenly or under suspicious circumstances

Ü vaccinating at risk livestock, yourself and employees?

You should seek medical advice with all diseases or suspected disease outbreaks.

Visit www.lhbv.org.au for a range of animal health and biosecurity resources and follow along on Twitter or Facebook by searching @vffLHBV.

For more information, contact Livestock Health & Biosecurity VICTORIA’s Catherine James or Kimberley Henman on 1300 020 163 or lhbv@vff.org.au.

Call for non-executive director applications to the Sheep Producers Australia board

SCA is modernising its operations, the name will change from Sheepmeat Council of Australia Inc to Sheep Producers Australia Ltd and will be a not-for-profit public company.

Applications must be supported by a State Member of the company, namely Victorian Farmers Federation, AgForce, NSWFarmers, Tasmania Farmers and Graziers Association, Livestock SA, WA Farmers Federation or Pastoralist and Graziers of WA.

Sheepmeat Council of Australia (SCA) is seeking to appoint seven non-executive directors to the Sheep Producers Australia Ltd (SPA) Board.

Applications should be addressed to the Chair of the Board Selection Committee and sent to sca@sheepmeatcouncil.com.au or Locked Bag 9, Kingston ACT 2600, and received by 4pm 29 September 2017.

Further information visit sheepmeatcouncil.com.au

The Southern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2017 shows the most at risk areas. The warmer and drier than average weather over recent months, combined with the forecasts for spring, suggest that the southern fire season is likely to commence earlier than usual and be more active than normal.

Download the full outlook at bnhcrc.com.au

Bushfires and Natural HazardsWith most of Australia experiencing a combination of above average temperatures and below average rainfall over winter, large parts of the country face above normal bushfire potential for the fire season.

Participants will learn from skilled deliverers in the areas of leadership and personal development, working in teams, strategy and ‘thinking big’ about the future, as well as covering business fundamentals, such as managing change, entrepreneurship and innovation and problem solving. The program provides local industry links and opportunities for business visits, both on-farm and off.

The course will be delivered in February 2018 in Clare, South Australia by Rural Directions Pty Ltd, an agribusiness consulting company.

Applications to participate in the program are now open, with submission due by Monday, 16 October 2017. Interested individuals are encouraged to visit wool.com/breedingleadership or contact Carlyn Sherriff via phone 08 8841 4500 or email csherriff@ruraldirections.com.

If you are passionate about your industry and want to develop your skills to make a difference in the future, this course is for you!

Developing the leadership skills of young people in the wool industry is a key feature of Australian Wool Innovation’s investment in education and training. The Breeding Leadership course is an opportunity available to any wool industry participants aged from 25 to 35 years.

Calling all budding wool industry leaders - Breeding Leadership is for you

Send us your imagesWe need your help to support

the commercialisation of kangaroo meat pet food

Find out more at www.wildlife.vic.gov.au 

KANGAROOS CAUSING

DAMAGE ON YOUR FARM?

Email your images to livestock@vff.org.au 

WoolProducers Australia calls for nominations for independent directors

The successful candidates will be required to become directors of WoolProducers Australia Ltd as part of the WoolProducers Australia Executive and the positions are for a term of two years.

To be eligible for election to the position of Independent Director, candidates must:

• Have paid 2% wool levy at least once during the past three years (since 1 July 2006)

• Be a member of a state farmer organisation that is affiliated with WoolProducers Australia or a Direct Member of WoolProducers Australia

• Be eligible to act as a company director.

Nominations close 6.00pm, Friday 6 October. Ballot papers will be distributed during October, with the close of voting 8 November.

The results will be declared at the 2017 WPA Annual General Meeting in Canberra on 14 November 2017.

More information is below, for additional information contact: admin@woolproducers.com.au

Nominations are now open for three positions on the executive of the nation’s peak body for woolgrowers, WoolProducers Australia.

Disclaimer: This publication is provided in good faith and as a guide only. It may be of assistance to you, but the VFF Livestock Group does not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or consequence that may arise from you relying on any information in this publication.

VFF Livestock GroupFarrer House 24-28 Collins Street Melbourne 3000 | ABN 67 079 980 304Ph. 1300 882 833 | Fax. 03 9207 5500 | E-mail. vff@vff.org.au | www.vff.org.au

Key Contacts: David Picker 9207 5547 or 0455 075 010 Kate Phillips 03 9207 5606, Livestock Health and Biosecurity 5444 9777

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter:

@vfflivestockgroup @vff_livestock