As we approach Christmas, rising prices for Australian pork is receiving considerable media coverage, with warnings that consumers will need to budget when purchasing Australian ham for festive season gatherings. Higher prices for fresh Australian pork products, with rises of as much as 40 per cent in the past six months, has seen comparable increases in farmgate returns for producers. Prices for Australian pigs have already increased from an average of $2.50 per kilogram 12 months ago to be nudging $4/kg …

APL recently released our Annual Report 2018-19, but we acknowledge that it is a lengthy document, required by various legal obligations. To give members a quick overview of what we’ve been doing and make the contents of the Annual Report more accessible, we’ve also developed a 4-page Year in Review document. Download the Year in Review

Christmas Ham Season has launched, and this year we’re tying in our amazing pork producers.   While many Australians enjoy ham at Christmas, most are unaware that the majority of ham sold in this country is made from imported pork. So, this year we’re encouraging everyone to add an Aussie ham to their festive feast, but also get active on social. Using the tagline “The greatest gift you can give an Aussie pig farmer this year is to buy Australian”, we want people …

The best Australian ham has been revealed in time for Christmas, with the top gong awarded to Noosa Meat Centre, Queensland, for its bone-in ham. The winners of the 2019 Australian PorkMark Ham Awards were announced this week, revealing winners across the country. A specialist judging panel this year assessed 140 entries across bone-in, boneless and nationally available categories. Noosa Meat Centre took top honours in the bone-in category, while the nation’s best boneless ham was awarded to Griffin & Morris Village Butchers, …

Producers can now access two new resources on support and assistance measures, with regional Climate Guides and a new training directory live on FarmHub. FarmHub is a Commonwealth Government initiative delivered by the National Farmers’ Federation. It helps farmers navigate the complex maze of government and private sector support programs, to reduce stress at an incredibly stressful time. Visit FarmHub

Antibiotics are an essential part of modern medicine; they are used to treat a range of bacterial infections in humans and animals. Unfortunately, antibiotic resistance is a growing problem that poses a serious threat to human and animal health in Australia and worldwide. Antimicrobial resistance occurs naturally in microorganisms like bacteria, but is accelerated when they are exposed to antibiotics. As a result, these antibiotics become less effective over time. Resistant bacteria can spread between people, animals and the environment. …

Congratulations to Blantyre Farms for winning the Bioenergy Technology Innovation Award at this week’s Bioenergy STRONG Conference. This award for technology innovation using covered anaerobic ponds reflects a truly closed loop approach to waste management. This efficient and cost-effective technology is an on-farm biogas production system which offsets Blantyre’s on-farm energy costs.

With the threat of African swine fever becoming more realistic, APL asks all producers to be on high alert, revisit their biosecurity plans and to make sure all staff and visitors to your piggery understand their biosecurity obligations. If you notice unusual or suspicious disease symptoms, contact the Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888 Producers can refer to the APL ASF resource page for additional information and guidance on biosecurity. Visit the APL ASF resource page

Listen to the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries’ (DAF) podcast about the battle to prevent African swine fever from reaching Queensland’s shores. CSIRO’s Dr David Williams explains why this disease is so lethal—killing a quarter of the world’s pigs in its latest outbreak overseas.Rob Martyn explains what is being done on his Darling Downs property to prepare for a potential outbreak.Dr Allison Crook and Dr Jonathan Lee from Biosecurity Queensland explain how they are working with the industry on a …

We are pleased to announce that Mr Andrew Baxter has been appointed Chair of APL, after being after being elected to the position at the Board’s November meeting in Melbourne. Likewise, we are pleased to welcome Mark McLean to the APL Board following his election at yesterday’s AGM, and congratulate Edwina Beveridge on her relection to the Board. We also say farewell to outgoing directors Kathy Grigg and Andrew Johnson, and thank them for their contributions. Kathy was specialist director for eleven years, chairing …

Animal Health Australia has published the Revised National Farm Biosecurity Manual for Pork Production, developed in partnership with APL, on their website. The alignment of the Farm Biosecurity Manual for Pork Production and the biosecurity module within the APIQ✓® programme provides the framework and standards by which Australian pig producers can demonstrate good biosecurity practices. The Manual builds on the agreed 2013 version, while also encompassing contemporary industry risks and mitigation measures to reflect changes that have been made to the APIQ✓® standards. Download the Revised National …