THE SOUTH Australian pig industry is forging ahead with the formation of a new industry association and a new research alliance.
SAFF once had a strong pork industry committee, but with the organisation's infighting leading to the need for an overhaul, the pig group had been left in limbo.
At a South Australian Pig Industry Day in February it was decided by the 90-plus crowd that the formation of a new group was much needed.
Pork SA's formation was subsequently approved by Consumer and Business Services SA, which administers the Associations Incorporation Act.
Steering committee spokesperson Peter Brechin said the organisation would look at working with the new group that was being formed to replace SAFF – the Primary Producers Council of SA – but wanted to see more details of its structure before committing to being part of it.
Mr Brechin was elected to the steering committee along with producers Andrew Johnson, Butch Moses, David Reu, Garry Tiss, Mark McLean, Matthew Starick, Nick Lienert , Rod Hamann and Tony Richardson, and industry identities Christine Sapwell and Barry Lloyd.
Meanwhile, South Australia's pig industry will be supported by local research into sow and piglet housing, reproduction, welfare and other initiatives under a new Southern Pork Alliance.
The alliance consolidates SA's leading role in Australian pig research, development and extension. The alliance, between the University of Adelaide's School of Animal & Veterinary Sciences and SARDI, will capitalise on the higher education, animal health and welfare, reproduction, molecular diagnostics, product quality and food safety capabilities at the university's Roseworthy campus AND the Waite campus.
SA is a major supplier of Australia's pork, with more than 25 per cent of domestic production – about 1.2 million pigs or more than 90,000 tonnes of pork – processed at modern plants at Murray Bridge and Port Wakefield.
National Cooperative Research Centre for High Integrity Pork chief executive Roger Campbell said the industry was working closely with alliance specialists at Roseworthy to promote better standards of production and product quality.
"Whole-value-chain innovation, collaboration and research, development and education will ensure the future of a more efficient, sustainable and profitable Australian pork industry," Dr Campbell said.
The Pork CRC, also based at Roseworthy, funds a range of research projects covering nutrition, reproduction, housing, production and welfare, with several key projects involving University of Adelaide and SARDI scientists.
The university's Roseworthy campus executive dean Prof Iain Reid said pork research was focused on sow and piglet management, with particular emphasis on reproduction, health, welfare and housing.
"These areas are becoming increasingly important for the efficient and ethical production of pork, without the need for confinement of sows in stalls or widespread use of antibiotic medications," he said.
"For the School of Animal & Veterinary Sciences, this alliance dramatically strengthens the potential for research and teaching in pig production and disease management, making it a unique resource among Australian veterinary schools and ensuring a continuing supply of researchers and veterinarians to service the needs of the industry."
*Full report in Stock Journal, March 28 issue, 2013.
