Western Australian Pork Industry Strategic Plan 2012-20

Page last updated: Thursday, 27 July 2023 - 4:13pm

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Our vision is a profitable and sustainable future for all sectors of the Western Australian (WA) pork industry underpinned by four strategic goals: increase consumption of fresh pork, increase productivity, reduce costs across the supply chain and develop and grow export markets for pork.

Goal one - increase consumption of fresh pork by 25% by 2020

We hope to achieve this by the following three strategies:

Increase uniformity of product and consistency of supply through the supply chain:

  • develop specific markets for pigs that just miss optimum specifications
  • improve on-farm management and systems
  • promote industry wide adoption of genetic and feed management systems
  • increase production to increase consistency.

Eliminate boar taint while increasing carcass weight:

  • promote immunocastration of all male pigs to reduce cost of production
  • educate all sections of the supply chain about boar taint
  • include castration as part of the quality assurance program for the industry
  • ensure brand integrity.

Deliver innovative presentation and marketing of product for new markets:

  • introduce best practice cutting lines and packaging for specific markets
  • adopt the outcomes from program 3 of the Pork Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for High Integrity Australian Pork (HIAP)
  • develop partnerships with a range of processors to come up with a better product range
  • analyse market potential based on population demographics that will lead to increased pork consumption
  • identify market opportunities for heavier carcasses.

Goal two - increase industry productivity with a minimum 4% increase in kg/sow/year or decrease in kg of feed/kg/kg hot standard carcass weight

We hope to achieve this by the following four strategies:

Improve genetic performance:

  • ensure protocols and risk assessments for the importation of semen are adequate
  • promote the implementation of international genetics
  • target high value breeding such as PIC, CEFN and Myora
  • Pool the resources of existing breeding companies.

Improve feed conversion:

  • improve employment conditions through non-cash initiatives to develop and raise status
  • reduce near market mortality
  • match diet requirements to genotypes
  • overcome market resistance to feed additives
  • explore opportunities for alternative feed sources.

Increase skilled labour:

  • improve employment conditions through non-cash initiatives to develop and raise status
  • encourage businesses to use training opportunities
  • promote labour agreements and the importation of labour.

Develop production systems that meet consumer expectations:

  • maintain productivity in loose housing systems for sows
  • capitalise on the value of piggery effluent
  • facilitate compliance with environmental codes of practice and welfare regulations.

Goal three – reduce costs across the supply chain by at least 5% in each sector by 2020

We hope to achieve this by the following four strategies:

Reduce feed costs:

  • develop a feed grain supply chain for energy and protein
  • identify ingredients that are high yielding and specific to the pork industry
  • create incentives to locate and design new feed mills to decrease freight and increase flexibility of grain purchases
  • develop algae as a feed ingredient in collaboration with program 4A of the Pork CRC for HIAP.

Reduce industry reliance on outdoor production:

develop incentives to increase indoor production including 10-year contracts on a cost plus basis
identify areas for pork production (hubs) to reduce transport costs.

Reduce structural costs:

  • promote options for long term benefits in the supply chain
  • reduce export inspection charges.

Improve business management skills:

  • promote benchmarking to improve production decisions
  • improve financial skills of producers.
  • improve staff management skills and approaches
  • develop innovative programs for young industry leaders.

Goal four – develop and grow export markets for pork products by doubling exported product by 2017 (6000t to 12 000t)

We hope to achieve this by the following three strategies:

Understand potential export markets in Asia:

  • conduct desktop market research on pork products for targeted markets
  • construct a matrix of prices and volumes along the value chain for the targeted markets
  • develop a draft export strategy including all forms of assistance available.

Develop industry commitment to export growth:

  • identify barriers for the WA pork sector to increase exports in designated markets and product lines
  • form a WA Pork Products Alliance to achieve success in export markets.

Stimulate in-country market development:

  • identify market segments with the greatest potential for increased product
  • identify potential partners for the WA Pork Products Alliance in those market segments
  • develop innovative solutions to address the needs of the potential partners
  • build new supply chain arrangements and government-to-government linkages to facilitate increased export.