Further to the devastating news from Japan in relation to the foot and mouth disease outbreak, some of the figures that are emerging are quite startling.
Over 200,000 animals have been destroyed since March, with a 150,000 of those being pigs. Apparently one of the country’s prized Wagyu herds is still intact. This certainly brings back the absolute need for our quarantine authorities and federal government to lift their game to the highest priority. One would not wish to think about the devastation that could be reaped upon our National herd. Just the economic cost, with figures between 9 and 12 billion, plus the International reputation to our clean, green, disease free food would be irreparable.
The fact that the Government is refusing to provide an additional $260 million per year, recommended by it’s own quarantine review panel, makes you wonder where their real priorities are in this time of throwing money around in all directions…….except ours.

Great talking with a few of the old timers the other day, about all things Rural, bureaucrats and international trade. My constant whinging about the lack of quality decisions made by our bureaucratic establishments who are controlling our Beef Industry is made up of the following. The flurry of overseas beef imports from countries with BSE problems, the demands of the bureaucracy in regards to our land management and the basic lack of knowledge by our “Masters” of the practical abilities to survive in today’s agricultural industry.
Then it was suddenly like a little light going on amongst the three of us, as if we had found the overwhelming problem to all the above issues. As one old fellow said to me, “the biggest trouble with most of the people who have their degrees, sharp suits and fairly extreme wages, is that not one of them in their lifetime would know how to grow a blade of grass, let alone manage things like animal health, fencing, pasture development and the ever present bank manager”.
Quick as a flash I replied, “We ought to get one of you blokes to have a crack at these top jobs”. It was as if I had dropped a grenade, as they headed to all corners of the earth, mumbling under their breaths “I haven’t got time for all that bureaucratic rubbish” !
Maybe this is our real problem !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Interesting reading this week, about anyone who employs people, especially in the Rural industry, of a case in regards to an OH&S issue that has gone to the High Court, with a positive outcome for the employer expected before Xmas.
This particular case involves a farm manager who, when riding a quad bike, avoided going down a perfectly good road, and instead went over a steep incline whilst dragging pipes behind him. Unfortunately this person was killed and the full weight of the OH&S laws were applied to the owner who was nowhere near the incident. This particular case has been going for eight years and has cost the employer in excess of a million dollars to defend.
The employee had exceeded the capabilities of the machine and had had prior training when they had taken delivery of the quad. The case has now been argued to the High Court whereby the presumption of guilt by the employer has been questioned, with him also receiving a criminal record.
These draconian laws in cases like this now look to be considered along the lines of the “Reasonable Forseeability Test”, which basically means that these actions cannot be predicted in any shape or form by the employer. We all know that in agriculture especially, it is a dangerous workplace, but, there are some things that we cannot predict (ask one who knows!!!!).
This is now becoming a major factor in whether we employ people without the already acquired skills which means, how do the young fellas get a go…….

Looks like a masterstroke for Angus breeders across Australia with the coupling of McDonalds to the Angus Association of Australia. The release of the “MacAngus” as a premium quality larger burger will certainly help associate the breed with higher quality meat, hopefully.
A little bit interesting in that although being sold as a CAAB – verified Angus beast, I did notice that to qualify in this programme that the sire had to be Angus and that there was an allowance for the dam to be an Angus cross cow.

The only thing that could sink this programme of course would be if someone puts a “Roo in the Stew”. Still a master marketing stroke for the Angus breed.

Its great to see that another part of the grazing industry is kicking extremely large goals and that of course is Aussie Lamb. Figures just released for the last quarter show a surge of 9% increase, which represented 40,928 tonnes that were actually shipped. The biggest growth was of course in the South East Asia and China areas that lifted their intake by 15%. The whole process still comes back to consumer demand, which is rising at a rapid rate, and the saleyard prices are most certainly showing that. An excellent return for farmers with lambs, which is great.

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