Avian flu outbreak may cause an industry re-think

The sheer scale of the outbreak of avian influenza on a 400,000 hen egg farm at Young in NSW is sending shockwaves through the industry.

It is supposedly a 'state of the art' farm with an intensive free range operation mixed with cage layer sheds.

Once the dust has settled and investigations into how the outbreak started, and why internal biosecurity measures did not stop the disease from spreading to the hens in cages the industry needs to take a good hard look at itself.

Are these massive farms with intensive production systems the great idea that corporate egg farms say they are? Is is sensible to have such large numbers of hens (or any animals) in such a small space? Are there specific problems with multiple production systems on one farm, intensive free range as well as barn or cage operations?

Hopes run high for ACCC action on egg industry

ABC Radio in Victoria ran this today in its rural news programmes.  It was a follow up piece to the news that the ACCC has asked for major egg farms to supply details of their trading actions which may have been anti-competetive.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-11/nrn-egg-accc/4950912 

Egg farms not exempt from climate change

There is little doubt that climate change will cause serious supply chain disruptions over the next few decades. And egg producers won't be exempt from the problems. Despite persistent denials by climate change sceptics, the connection between human behaviour and the warming of our planet has been well established.

Carbon dioxide emissions between 1850 and 1950 amounted to an average of 2 billion tonnes per year. During the 1980s this rose to 7.1 billion and by 2020 it's estimated to reach 9.8 billion.

Freak weather events caused by these changes are triggering unexpected commodity shortages and price volatility as well at causing havoc with many farming operations. This creates unprecedented supply chain instability and introduces new levels of risk and uncertainty into markets.

Only those farm and other businesses that can adapt will survive. Stable supply chains in the future will depend on action being taken at multiple levels to reduce greenhouse gas emission and mitigate climate change.

Most businesses currently externalise the cost of natural resources, creating a distorted picture of financial performance and business value. It can be demonstrated that many of the ‘services’ provided by the environment and which are essential for long term viability, are not factored into mainstream financial reporting.

The pressure on business to correct this distortion through True Cost Accounting is growing—a system in which the monetary value of natural resources such as water, timber and fossil fuels are included as costs that are reflected in the bottom line.

If True Cost Accounting is accepted as a normal business tool, and businesses pay for their use of natural resources, market dynamics will drive businesses to reduce their dependency in order to survive.

Production at Freeranger Eggs is aimed at sustainability and we believe we are well placed to meet an uncertain future – although there are bound to be problems from time to time with feed shortages and cost increases.

Egg Farm Biosecurity

Work on an Egg Farm Biosecurity Manual is nearing completion, according to Duncan Rowland, Executive Manager Biosecurity Services at Animal Health Australia.

“Over the past few months AHA has been working with its industry members to update their on-farm biosecurity manuals. Recent industry endorsed publications include a Farm Biosecurity Manual for the Duck Meat Industry; Grazing Industries Biosecurity Reference Manual (covering cattle, sheep, goats and alpaca) and a Pork Biosecurity Reference Manual,” Dr Rowland said.

We wonder who he has been talking to in the egg industry?

More bodgy 'free range' applications to come

A planning application lodged with Mitchell Shire at Seymour in Victoria looks like one of the first applications for a 'free range' farm being set up under the proposed high density standards which the Australian Egg Corporation is still trying to establish.

Valley Park Farms has lodged a planning application for an 'intensive animal husbandry' facility but in its press releases, the company refers to it as a 'free range' egg farm. Free Range Farmers Association has lodged an objection and asked the Shire to consider the stocking density proposed on the farm.

It pointed out the requirements of The Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals - Domestic Poultry  which allows a maximum stocking density on free range egg farms of 1500 birds per hectare. The total amount of land on which this development is proposed is 84.7 Ha - indicating an absolute maximum farm capacity of 127,000 chickens.

The proponents are suggesting 170,000 birds in a total of ten sheds.

The land will be divided into paddocks and the property will also have ancilliary shedding, roads, laneways, and the application includes a dwelling, which all reduce the amount of land on which the birds can roam to qualify as 'free range'.

FRFA also asked the Council to establish how much of the land will be accessed by the hens every day and impose a permit limit on the number of hens to meet the requirements of the Model Code. The stocking density proposed is likely to have serious off-site implications as a result of contaminated run-off.

The application is Planning Permit No P306142/10 To use and develop the land for intensive animal husbandry with caretaker's dwelling and to remove native vegetation. Goulburn Valley Highway, Seymour.

Heavy rains causing probems for chook farms

Widespread flooding throughout many parts of Australia are impacting on chook farms as well as everyone else in various communities. Farms in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia have been affected - some have been virtually wiped out while others have been isolated, preventing deliveries of feed etc and transport of eggs to markets.
Here in South Gippsland, everything is pretty soggy, but so far we have not been directly affected by roads being cut - and I hope that doesn't happen.
The weather may have a serious impact on our sales at markets by reducing the numbers of customers - but that is a very minor problem compared with the devastion which has been caused for some farms.
There's not much of a let-up on the immediate horizon but hopefully the worst is over.