 |
|
|
|
PROGRAM 3. ESTABLISHED INDUSTRIES
3.3 Honeybee
3.5 Horses
3.7 Pasture Seeds
3.4 Rice
3.6 Fodder Crops
Objective: To maximise the contribution of R&D to the profitability and sustainability of the established rural industries for which RIRDC provides R&D management services.
Expenditure in 1998/99: $7,343,487**Includes the R&D program of the Dried Fruits R&D Council
Our Five Year Plan 1997–2002 has the following performance indicators for Program 3.
Some key performance achievements in 1998/99 were as follows:
Program 3
Established IndustriesWe will measure our success by:
Performance in 1998/99
Our establishment of R&D plans that address each industry’s agreed strategies and goals
- All sub-programs have current five year R&D plans that have been developed in close consultation with the appropriate industries.
Industry funding support for the agreed plans through R&D levies or other dollar-for-dollar mechanisms
- Five of the seven sub-programs have a statutory R&D levy-funding base. The other two, ‘Horses’ and ‘Fodder Crops’ have proposals for a statutory R&D levy before the Government. The horse sub-program has a voluntary industry levy, which provides 50 per cent of the R&D funding.
The adoption level of the results from our research projects within industry practice
- Examples of R&D outcomes with significant adoption during the year include:
- released new vaccine strains of two additional Eimeria spp. for incorporation in a commercial vaccine product for the poultry disease coccidiosis;
- developed and piloted documentation for a model welfare audit system for the chicken meat industry;
- produced a modern software package for recording and reporting flock data for egg producers;
- developed simple techniques to quickly score honey floral resource production and consumption;
- developed a national marketing and communications strategy and a technology transfer resource package to enhance the delivery and use of commercial honeybee crop pollination services;
- released a new rice variety Opus that was developed specifically for the high quality Japanese market;
- produced a comprehensive guide to rice harvesting machinery and practices;
- produced two booklets Wastage in the Australian Racing Industry and Healthy Land, Healthy Horses which provide new information on factors leading to the loss of horses from racing and advice about management of horses and land use around urban areas;
- released several new fodder varieties suitable for southern Australia;
- developed a bacterial wilt test for lucerne seed to ensure that long term export markets are accessible.
Achievement of average benefit–cost ratio of 10 and/or internal rates of return of greater than 25 per cent on R&D projects A major benefit-cost study of 14 established industries projects found rates of return ranging from 1 to 200 per cent, with most considerably greater than the Corporation’s target of 25 per cent and benefit-cost ratio of ten.
CURRENT FUNDING SOURCES FOR PROGRAM 3 Chicken meat Levy Eggs Levy Honeybee Levy Rice Levy Horses Voluntary levy/core Fodder crops Core only Pasture seeds Levy (temperate legumes only)
3.1 Chicken Meat
Objective: To support increased profitability and sustainability in the chicken meat industry through improvements in efficiency, product quality and market size and through the adoption of enlightened management practices. Expenditure in 1998/99: $1,448,083
Strategies
This sub-program has its own five-year R&D plan, which is accessible in hardcopy and on the Internet at www.rirdc.gov.au/pub/chick5yr.htm
- Develop techniques to more effectively control poultry diseases, such as vaccines, diagnostic tests, epidemiological procedures, biosecurity measures and nutritional manipulations.
- Develop strategies for improving the quality and utilisation of feed through the development of rapid nutritional quality testing techniques, identifying nutritional interactions with disease and the environment, investigating new or alternative feed ingredients and developing technologies that improve the rate and efficiency of broiler growth.
- Establish critical control points and develop techniques for reducing contamination of live birds and poultry products with food safety organisms.
- Identify impediments to achieving an internationally competitive industry and develop strategies for addressing these.
- Develop strategies to improve the image of the industry and its products in the eyes of the consumer.
- Facilitate the adoption of best practice standards in animal welfare for the chicken meat industry.
- Establish operational standards and develop strategies to improve the industry’s ability to successfully manage environmental issues.
- Facilitate industry awareness and rapid adoption of new and improved technologies.
Background
The Australian chicken meat industry currently produces approximately 550,000 tonnes of chicken meat annually with a retail value in excess of $2.25 billion.
Production has increased dramatically over the past 30 years, to the point where chicken meat is now Australian consumers’ second most popular meat. While growth has slowed over the past six months and production will remain at current levels for the coming 12 months, it is expected that the industry will resume growth of up to four per cent a year in subsequent years.
Most production is consumed domestically, although exports increased significantly over the past year, largely due to a greater industry focus and interest in developing export markets, assisted by domestic oversupply and the weak Australian dollar.
The industry is dominated by a number of quite large, vertically integrated companies. Each of these companies invests significant funds into in-house R&D, particularly in the areas of product development, processing technologies, quality control procedures, distribution and packaging and market research.
The major challenges likely to be faced by the industry in the next few years relate to the need for restructuring its operations in order to improve its international competitiveness and to the need for addressing concerns being raised in the community about its environmental performance, particularly with respect to odour control.
Issues pertaining to consumer perceptions of the quality of chicken products and how they are produced will also need to be addressed in coming years. In particular, food safety issues relevant to chicken meat products will continue to provide a major focus for the industry over this period.
In the immediate future, the industry needs to closely examine the factors that may have contributed to an increased incidence of outbreaks of diseases considered to be exotic to Australian poultry flocks and to address these to ensure that the local industry’s favourable disease status is maintained.
Achievements in 1998/99
- New vaccine strains:
Released new vaccine strains of two additional Eimeria spp. for incorporation in a commercial vaccine product for the poultry disease coccidiosis.- Database of odour information:
Generated a database of information on odour emission rates, odour intensities and ammonia emissions associated with meat chicken farms and developed a set of recommended strategies to assist in reducing odour impacts during the grow-out phase of chicken meat production.- Structural change management:
Released a report on managing structural change in the chicken meat industry.
- Analysis of consumer usage patterns:
Commissioned and published an analysis of consumer usage patterns for chicken meat and consumer attitudes towards chicken meat products and how they are produced.
- Model welfare audit system:
Developed and piloted documentation for a model welfare audit system for the chicken meat industry.- New diagnostic antigen:
Identified a new and highly specific diagnostic antigen for the poultry pathogen, Mycoplasma synoviae, for inclusion in improved tests for diagnosing infection with this organism.
CHICKEN MEAT SUB-ACCOUNT ACTUAL 1997/1998($) 1998/1999 ($) Opening Balance Total Revenues Total Expenditure Surplus/(Deficit) Closing Balance Publications in 1998/99
98/31 Ovarian disease vs normal regression in hens 98/91 Joint chicken meat and eggs research in progress 98/105 Rapid and specific detection of avian bacterial pathogens Research Manager: Dr Vivien Kite
Phone: (02) 9929 4077 Fax: (02) 9925 0627 Email: vivienk@rirdc.gov.au
3.2 Eggs
Objective: To support improved efficiency, sustainability, product quality, education and technology transfer in the Australian egg industry. Expenditure in 1998/99: $993,659
Strategies
This sub-program has its own five-year R&D plan, which is accessible in hardcopy and on the Internet at www.rirdc.gov.au/pub/egg5year.htm
- Analyse the impact of economic and policy reforms on the Australian egg industry.
- Develop and satisfy the market for eggs and egg products.
- Safeguard public health.
- Minimise the effects of disease in layer flock health.
- Improve the efficiency of egg production through improved understanding of nutrition, physiology and husbandry.
- Improve bird welfare and bird performance.
- Optimise the environmental and social impact of egg production.
- Facilitate the training of researchers, producers and their support staff.
Background
The Australian egg industry comprises 950 producers, has an annual output of 210 million dozen eggs and a gross value of production of $300 million a year. Approximately 85 per cent of all eggs produced are sold in shell form, primarily through grocery chains. The balance is processed into liquid, frozen and dried egg products for use in food service and processed food sectors.
The industry continues to undergo significant structural development due to marketing deregulation in a number of States. In general, individual enterprises are becoming fewer in number and larger in size. However, there are also new entrants into the industry, especially in the alternative lifestyle markets. This, in conjunction with the relaxation of quarantine regulations to enable the importation of overseas stock, has resulted in a need for new research to address the changing requirements of the industry.
The urgency that has been placed on research into Marek’s disease over the past few years is being reduced due to the apparent success of improved management and biosecurity practices and a new imported vaccine in preventing the disease in imported strains of poultry. While some work in this area will continue, the level of funding for research on Marek’s disease will decline.
Achievements in 1998/99
- Industry newsletter:
Extended the distribution of the monthly newsletter Focus on Research to include researchers.- International benchmarking survey:
Published an international benchmarking survey.- Egg yolks in infant diets:
Undertook a successful media campaign to promote the results of a study into the benefits and safety of egg yolks in infant diets.- Flock data software package:
Produced a modern software package for recording and reporting flock data.- Egg shell quality video:
Produced a video to assist egg producers to identify and address the causes of egg shell quality problems.- Review of management practices:
Conducted a review of management practices and food safety issues in alternative production systems.- Diagnostic tool for SE:
Developed a contingency plan for Salmonella enteriditis (SE) contamination of eggs and a diagnostic tool to aid in monitoring for SE.- Distance learning materials:
Published distance learning materials for layer farm managers.- Nutrient enriched eggs:
Conducted a literature review and patent search to determine the feasibility of developing eggs enriched with specific nutrients.- Diarrhoea bacteria in poultry:
Identified the presence in the eastern States of a previously undiagnosed spirochaete bacteria capable of causing diarrhoea in poultry.
EGGS SUB-ACCOUNT ACTUAL 1997/1998($) 1998/1999 ($) Opening Balance Total Revenues Total Expenditure Surplus/(Deficit) Closing Balance
EGG INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT FUND SUB-ACCOUNT ACTUAL 1997/1998($) 1998/1999 ($) Opening Balance Total Revenues Total Expenditure Surplus/(Deficit) Closing Balance Publications in 1998/99
SR41 Production and welfare of housed layers SR37 Egg yolks – nature’s ‘wonder food’ for infants 98/31 Ovarian disease vs normal regression in hens 98/91 Joint chicken meat and eggs research in progress 98/101 Egg shell quality problems: causes and solutions (video also produced) Research Manager: Dr Irene Gorman
Phone: (02) 9570 9222 Fax: (02) 9570 9763 Email: ireneg@rirdc.gov.au
3.3 Honeybee
Objective: To improve the productivity and profitability of the Australian beekeeping industry.
Expenditure in 1998/99: $407,506
Strategies
This sub-program has its own five-year R&D plan, which is accessible in hardcopy and on the Internet at www.rirdc.gov.au/pub/honeybee.html
- Increase profitability by improving hive husbandry and management practices.
- Continue honeybee access and research into melliferous resources on both public and freehold land.
- Develop agricultural and horticultural crop pollination and biological controls using honeybees.
- Improve methods of extracting, storing and transporting honey.
- Increase the use of honey in the food industry.
- Determine therapeutic values of specific floral species.
- Improve communications between the R&D section, the honey industry and associated industries.
Background
Australian honey has a reputation in the world market of being a premium quality product. It is produced over a large geographical area from a wide variety of flowering plants which tend to flower spasmodically, because of fluctuating rainfall patterns and the extended budding cycles of much of the honey producing flora.
About 70–80 per cent of honey produced is from native flora, especially eucalypts growing on public, Crown leasehold and freehold land.
The flora are diverse, growing as heathland and mallee eucalypts on coastal plains and in semi-arid regions of Australia, through medium rainfall to subalpine regions and rainforests of Tasmania, northern New South Wales and Queensland.
Australia produces about 31,000 tonnes of honey a year with an estimated gross value of production of about $49 million. Domestic consumption is approximately 15,000 tonnes a year and the remainder is exported in pre-bulk form, making Australia the world’s fourth largest exporter of honey.
In 1994/95 the gross value of production, including queen and package bees, beeswax, pollen and pollination, was $65 million. In addition, the value of pollination to the Australian economy has been estimated at between $604 million and $1.2 billion.
Achievements in 1998/99
- Flora and fauna impact:
Completed and published Impact of Commercial Honeybees on Flora and Fauna .- Scoring floral resource production:
Developed simple techniques to quickly score floral resource production and consumption.- Antimicrobial activity:
Identified Australian honeys with high antimicrobial activity.- Honey for bacteria control:
Hospital microbiology laboratories confirmed the ability of ‘active’ honeys to control the growth of problem bacteria.- Queen pheremone attraction:
Produced and demonstrated unequivocally an attraction of Apis cerana workers to a synthetic blend of its putative queen pheremone.- Bees and traditional food crops:
Promoted native bees in the production of traditional food crops on Torres Strait islands.- National marketing and communications strategy:
Developed a national marketing and communications strategy and a technology transfer resource package to enhance the delivery and use of commercial honeybee crop pollination services.- Antibiotic resistence: Research confirmed no diversity or antibiotic resistance by Melisococcus pluton in Australia.
- Stanard protocols for edible honey: Developed standard protocols and recommended acceptable standards for honey destined for human consumption.
HONEYBEE SUB-ACCOUNT ACTUAL 1997/1998($) 1998/1999 ($) Opening Balance Total Revenues Total Expenditure Surplus/(Deficit) Closing Balance Publications in 1998/99
- Identification and application of aggregation pheromone of Apis cerana (Internet only) - Honeybee publication flyer SR64 European foulbrood - fighting the honeybee disease 98/48 Honeybee research report 1998 98/128 Strategic planning and action meeting for honey bee nutrition 98/144 Treating American foulbrood – development of a national control program 99/15 Impact of commercial honeybees on flora and fauna 99/20 European foulbrood – study of oxytetracycline sensitivity and diversity 99/43 Natural resource database for the Queensland apiary industry 99/61 Honeybee research report 1999 Research Manager:
Mr Graham Kleinschmidt(Current Research Manager:
Phone: (07) 5491 8389 Fax: (07) 5491 9062 Email: rirdc@rirdc.gov.au
Dr Jeff Davis, 02 6272 4152)
