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May 26, 2019

African Swine Fever: The crisis continues

by Chris Jackson

Once again, I am privileged to be travelling again, this time to Indonesia, Australia and China visiting farms and industries allied to farming, all of whom are having difficulties beyond their control.

Let me start by taking a look at Australia where there is a state of drought. We saw in the world’s press the dramatic damage caused by storms in Queensland and the Northern Territory where livestock farmers have been hard pressed to keep their animals alive by buying in expensive fodder from more southerly regions, only to see many thousands of heads drowned by the flash flooding caused by the storms.
 


Whilst in New South Wales where irrigation is needed to produce crops, the cost of water has risen to such a level that farmers are having to cut back on production, and we are seeing vast acres of what should be productive land, instead lying dormant.

Rice production in these areas have long since been cut back in favour of the more profitable production of cotton. With areas reduced and crops lightened due to water shortage, there are significant knock-on effects being experienced.

This feed is important for millers making balanced rations for our genetically enhanced species, as it significant supply of protein. The feed is important to the stock farmers and because of the shortage some ginners are only supplying existing customers. Prices have seen dramatic increases but regardless of cost, the product is not available.

There is hope for the future as new cotton varieties are being developed with lower gossypol and cyclopropenoids present which will mean that higher levels of inclusion in diets will be achievable when the crop is available.

With a better harvest in Western Australia there is some feed available but looking at the much-reduced stockpiles in NSW these will be hard pressed to compensate for the shortfall.


Read more HERE.
 

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine Milling and Grain
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.


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