Food With Purpose combining PIX, AMC and APL in one event at the Gold Coast
For the first time, the pig, poultry and feed sectors combined at the Food With Purpose trade exhibition and seminar at the Gold Coast Convention Centre from May 13-15.
Poultry Digest attended with our full crew, and let it be said from the outset that the concept of combining three key sectors in our intensive livestock industries, poultry, feed milling and pig production was highly successful.
At the ‘Welcome to Food With Purpose’ opening plenary session, Wayne Bradshaw from Jefo was the MC and introduced the speakers – President of PIX, Sarah Haberecht, Margo Andrae, CEO of APL and David Bray from AMC.
Senator Murray Watt, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, appeared by zoom to welcome all the attendees.
He spoke about the overlap in issues for the three represented industries and the importance of agriculture to the national economy.
He said the government had four priorities in the agricultural sector which were biosecurity, the workforce in agriculture, sustainability and trade.
With regard to biosecurity, he talked about the work of combating Foot and Mouth disease, Swine Fever and also Avian Influenza. Further research and funding were on-going. Tracebility was also important he said.
The government was also concerned to help rebuild the work forces in these industries.
Sustainability and animal welfare were important to Australia’s international reputation and also consumers. It was important to renew the animal welfare strategies with State and Territory Governments, he concluded.
For the first time since Poultry Digest started to attend first PIX and then AMC/PIX events, the Food With Purpose 2024 felt like a truly international event.
Significant Chinese based suppliers were present at the trade exhibition, as well as strong support from established locally based industry suppliers, the regulars who form the core of PIX trade exhibitions.
There was even a ‘single nation’ booth representing a number of products.
Every day the trade stands were busy with more visitors present than ever before it seemed.
Similarly, the seminars were not only of excellent quality, but well attended, also apart from industry suppliers and their staff there was a significant presence of producers and their livestock managers.
Proten, which was a major sponsor of the event, brought many of the farm staff to both the trade exhibition and seminar sessions.
At the contract family owned farm level, Poultry Digest met numerous producers, some attending a PIX event for the first time.
The overall atmosphere was positive despite the many challenges intensive livestock and feed milling industries are facing.
While the huge increase in immigration has, as usual, become the subject of fractious debate amongst the political class, Australian poultry, pig farmers and feed mills now have a significantly increased number of consumers to feed.
Further, these consumers require more considerations than just affordable safe and healthy food; environmental concerns, GHG emmissions and spiraling energy costs are driving our feed and protein supply industries to look and adopt new technologies and practices to meet an ever changing landscape for protein production.
As Stephen McGoldrick (Agribiz) in the Broiler Session on May 15 pointed out, “Looking forward to the 2050s, modern broiler sheds are designed to have a useful life of at least 30 years.
“In consequence, new sheds must be relevant to chicken meat production and industry requirements into the 2050s,” he stated.
A lot of changes, not only in consumer preference, but also retailer demands, have taken place since the move to tunnel ventilated and automated climate controlled housing built in the 1990s.
Understanding these changes and the new technologies available to producers and integrators is a vital function of trade functions like ’Food With Purpose’.
In the Meat Session on May 14, Huon Hoogesteger (CEO of Smart Commercial Solar) delivered a detailed insight into the potential of integrated battery and solar technology technologies for the poultry sector.
We expand on this topic in a future edition of Poultry Digest.
Dominic Elfick from Aviagen, who spoke in the Meat Session, described ‘The Future of Chicken’.
His opening statement about the “Incredible success of poultry in Australia” was backed up by the resounding statistics since chicken became the most consumed meat in Australia back in 2010.
“Australians consume in excess of 50 kg per person annually and poultry production is forecast to rise to a record 1.5 million tonnes in 2024/5 boosted by lower feed costs and high levels of consumer demand,” Dominic said.
Through 2028-29, poultry meat production is projected to grow driven by productivity improvements as well as lower feed grain prices.
“In real terms chicken has dramatically fallen in price over time and is now, on average, less than half the price of other meats,” he stated.
All this has been achieved, Dominic pointed out, while chicken meat production has not only become the most popular source of Australian protein but also highly sustainable.
In concluding his presentation, Dominic said “Our world is changing and sustainability is not a fixed construct.
“Definitions and drivers of change are based on our changing knowledge of the world, its economic systems and societies.
“Sustainability is not a ‘nice-to- have’ and it’s not enough not to do bad; you need to be seen to do good.
“Transparency will be the key to convincing the end user and value alignment will be the true selling point for chicken,” he concluded.
Guest keynote speaker Michael Czarick is arguably the go-to global expert on the creation and maintenance of optimal broiler shed conditions.
His 2024 presentation at PIX ‘Reduce Poutry Shed Heating costs’ could not have been more topical given the cost of gas and energy now in Australia.
A new generation of poultry shed managers were to hear about how vital it is to maintain ‘a tight house’ – and the cost if you don’t!
His three critical tips were:
1. Measure and maximise house tightness
2. Maximise air mixing through the use of a properly designed circulation fan system
3. Utilise a radiant heating system to maximise the amount of heat delivered to the floor and the chicks.
The Danish nation may be small in terms of geographical size, but it is one of the world’s most innovative suppliers of agricultural technology and in particular, for the intensive livestock sector.
SKOV climate control systems is just one example of the many specialised products and services that originate from Denmark.
In a first for a PIX related event at ‘Food With Purpose’ the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Trade Council and the Danish Agriculture and Food Council had their own stand.
Representatives from the numerous Danish companies including Arne Overgaard, SKOV’s Export Manager were present in the trade exhibition.
In the ‘Protein production in a high inflation environment’ session on May 14, Jeppe Sondergaard Pedersen spoke about ‘Producing more with less: Reflections from Denmark’.
The selection of industry related presentations was excellent being topical and wide ranging and the trade exhibition hall was positively buzzing at ‘Food With Purpose’.
Nothing beats a ‘Silly Hat ‘event and the Mad Hatter’s party at the Conference Gala Dinner certainly did set the tone for a fun evening.
Picking a winner in the fabulous line up of Millinery Mayhem would be difficult especially as any judgment may have been compromised by the conviviality of the evening.
That said the ‘Chicken Run’ inspired team of the Mason trio takes some beating!
The ‘Food With Purpose’ Charity Industry Breakfast had, as its focal point TIACS, a free phone and text counselling service offering mental health support to Australia’s blue collar community.
Specifically, free mental health counsellng for farmers, tradies, truckies and those who care about them Australia wide.
The service is confidential and free, delivered by phone call or text (whichever is more comfortable).
“Initially you connect with an intake officer that will get you started and then book in with a counsellor who will stay with you for the whole time of your engagement.
“Our approach is to help you not to need us, but if you do, we’ll always be there,” said Jason Banks, TIACS.
The TIACS initiative is funded by industry with alliance partners (legends of TIACS), community events and direct donations
One key source of revenue is decorative design high-viz workware that is not only practical but also a conversation starter.