Page 9 - National Poultry Newspaper

The status of agrifood one year later
BY March 2020, much of the world was in crisis mode as the spread of COV- ID-19 upended lives and businesses.
the outlook as we pre- pare to emerge from adversity?
tainability and story- telling.
At the height of the pandemic, three agri- food experts provided their assessments of both the short-term and lasting impacts COVID would have on the supply chain, con- sumers and the global economy.
Join us for a two- part series as we check back in with our ex- perts for a status up- date and explore the future of agrifood through the lens of COVID-19 – featur- ing insights from Shir- zad Chamine, Dewitt Jones, David McWil- liams and Mark Lyons.
Innovations in tech- nology and nutrition are empowering farm- ers to protect not only the health of their pigs but of the populace and our planet.
As vaccines and de- clining case numbers offer hope for a post- COVID future, have predictions shifted?
Unlock exclusive ac- cess to insights from leading experts into agrifood, business and beyond.
What surprises have arisen in the agrifood industry and altered
For more information and to register, visit one.alltech.com
Register for the Alltech ONE Ideas Conference, which returns virtually on May 25–27, 2021 – to unite thought leaders and changemakers for an exploration of the power of science, sus-
Hear from experts on how producers can improve their produc- tivity, profitability and the biosecurity of their farms in an ever- changing landscape.
In Australia, meat chickens are not raised in cages and the use of hormones and steroids was banned decades ago.
Farming myths plague Australian chicken industry despite high domestic consumption
DESPITE persistent misconceptions about how chickens are raised, new research shows that chicken continues to be the most consumed meat in Australia.
Conducted by the Uni- versity of Adelaide and funded by AgriFutures Australia, the research shows that more than two-thirds of Australian households serve chicken at least twice a week.
• 40 percent of consum- ers incorrectly believe that hormones and ster- oids can be used
banned decades ago,” she said.
In figures released by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Re- source Economics and Sciences, the consump- tion of chicken meat by Australians is forecast to reach 46.4kg per person in 2020-21, making Aus- tralian consumers among the highest consumers of chicken meat in the world.
This is in spite of the persistence of long held misperceptions about the conditions in which chickens are raised and the use of antibiotics and hormones.
• 12 percent of survey respondents said that an- tibiotics are used to in- crease the growth rate of meat chickens, regardless of the introduction of an industry-wide policy 15 years ago of no use of antibiotics for growth pro- motion
“Our rigorous Austral- ian standards restrict an- tibiotic use only to treat unwell chickens or pre- vent infections if there is a high risk of disease.
New research is provid- ing insights into why Aus- tralians’ love their chick- en so much and has de- termined that Australian consumers select chicken meat for its value, taste, nutritionandversatility.
Australian consumers aregenerallysatisfiedwith the safety and eating qual- ity of chicken meat, but whatisofconcernisthat:
Australian Chicken Meat Foundation execu- tive director Dr Vivien Kite said that these beliefs are simply untrue.
For more information on the facts about chicken meat production in Aus- tralia and to see a sum- mary of the research, visit agrifutures.com.au
Notwithstanding these entrenched myths, chick- en makes up nearly half of all meat consumed in Australia and per capita consumption is nearly double that of red meat.
• 82 percent of consum- ers surveyed incorrectly believe meat chickens are raised in cages.
Dr Kite said that Aus- tralians should be con- fident enjoying their fa- vourite protein knowing it is good value, nutritious, versatile and has the low- est environmental foot- print of all meat.
“In Australia, meat chickens are not raised in cages and the use of hor- mones and steroids was
“Also, strict withhold- ing periods exist to ensure there are no antibiotics present at the time of pro- cessing.”
So, which came rst?
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NUTRITION SOLUTIONS TO ENHANCE PERFORMANCE
www.poultrynews.com.au
National Poultry Newspaper, May 2021 – Page 9