Date: October 24th, 2006

Dear industry member,

For those people new to this circular, the Livestock e-circular is an initiative of the BFA Livestock Subcommittee with the idea of sharing information with fellow producers and others relating to production, certification and marketing. If you have any ideas to share or production tips, please submit these via the following link on our website http://www.bfa.com.au/index.asp?Sec_ID=203 for inclusion in the circular.

We hope you find it useful resource and look forward to your contributions and suggestions.

Best regards,
Holly Vyner
Public Relations Officer


QUEENSLAND COUNTRY LIFE CERTIFIED ORGANIC MARKET XTRA, OCT 2006

Organic Store Cattle Sale Initiative through Landmark, AuctionsPlus and BFA.
Landmark, AuctionsPlus and the Biological Farmers of Australia Co-op have agreed to work together to develop and promote a monthly organic livestock sale on AuctionsPlus.

It is hoped that by working together the ‘Australian Certified Organic/ Landmark/ AuctionsPlus Monthly Organic Sale’ will be developed to attract sufficient volume to allow certified organic livestock producers an efficient and competitive market place for organic store stock.

AuctionsPlus provides an ideal facility to sell organic store cattle and sheep as the integrity of the cattle’s organic status is not threatened while allowing access to a broader market.

The Sale: On the last Friday of every month after the regular 10am Eastern States sale AuctionsPlus will dedicate a sale to organic livestock. Details of each sale will be circulated by BFA to its subscription list of over 500 organic livestock producers through the BFA livestock subcommittee e-circular. The first sale is scheduled for Friday 24 Nov 2006.

Landmark QLD/NT Auction Plus State Co-ordinator – Col Cambell (mob: 0429068810 email col.cambell@landmark.com) and NSW/VIC Co-ordinator Bob Russ (mob:0419276851 email robert.russ@landmark.com.au) SA Co-ordinator Wayne Hall (mob: 0427369699 email wayne.hall@landmark.com.au) WA Co-ordinator Chris Medcalf (mob: 0427423232) are the contacts for organic producers to list their cattle and answer any queries. BFA will act as a facilitator and link rather than an active participant in the sales. All listings and sales will be between Landmark/Auction Plus and the individual organic producers.

Col Cambell, Landmark/AuctionsPlus Qld/NT commented ‘This is a new niche market in a sector with high growth potential and introduces a whole new sector to the benefits of AuctionsPlus. Landmark looks forward to working with the certified organic industry to develop this initiative”

While the current climatic and pasture conditions are not exactly conducive to the development of a store market it is important that the secondary market develop sufficiently to allow further growth of the certified organic livestock industry when climatic conditions improve.

The certified organic sector gains by the development of an innovative, regular and viable organic market place and the BFA/ ACO welcome all organic producers to join them and share the rewards offered by Landmark and AuctionsPlus. See www.bfa.com.au/auctionsplus or www.landmark.com/auctionsplus for further information or call Col Cambell on 0419 276 851.


FEED SHORTAGES

The dry conditions affecting much of Australia are impacting on all producers. It is important certified organic producers understand their options when faced with feed shortages and the impact on their certified status. The options for ACO producers are as follows:

1. For certified stock, up to 5% of the annual agricultural origin dry matter feed intake may be bought in as additional non-organic feed… - see section 5.1.29. of the Australian Organic Standard 2006.
2. In exceptional circumstances (EC) –see sections 5.1.36/37:
a) feed may be sourced from in-conversion fodder without the certification status of the livestock being affected.
b) if conventional fodder – free of GM and agrichemical residues – is fed, stock must be fed certified organic feed for a consecutive six month period before they can regain organic status.

Both 1 and 2 above require written communication between ACO and the producer, while stock fed conventional feed (2b) may require further residue testing prior to sale.

Please note also that conventional stock (ie. breeders) can still be run on certified organic land and mingle with certified stock provided there is no risk of contamination and identification of stock of different status is possible (see 3.1.49. of the AOS 2006). The offspring of such stock may attain certification status where the breeding stock is managed in accordance with the Standard.

Please note that for the USDA NOP livestock market, all agricultural based feeds (as opposed to minerals) must arise from USDA NOP certified sources.


RUMINANT LIVESTOCK/ BROADACRE SUBCOMMITTEE

The BFA sub-committee system has been critical in ensuring the BFA and ACO remain practical, commercial and industry orientated. One of the more active sub-committees has been the Livestock/Broadacre group however on suggestions from industry a decision has been taken to split the Livestock/Broadacre committee into two sections to better represent the sectors within the industry. Previously the monogastric (poultry and pigs) sector was included in the Livestock/Broadacre Subcommittee but due to its specialised nature it will now be split off and its own sub-committee activated. A more focused Ruminant (cattle/sheep) and Broadacre Sub-committee has been formed and will continue the good progress made to date.

I’d like to welcome the following subcommittee members and the new chairman Mr David Booth of Buronga Organics in the Riverina, NSW. Our thanks goes to Mr Quentin Kennedy, the previous Chairman who has stepped down due to business commitments. The Ruminant/Broadacre Subcommittee members are representative of the regions and sectors within the cattle, sheep and cropping sectors. They include producers, marketers, processors and advisers. The BFA looks forward to working with them.

David Booth Buronga Pastoral Co, Cootamundra, NSW
Chris Hurwood BFA Co-op Ltd, Brisbane, Qld
Quentin Kennedy Kialla Pure Foods P/L, GREENMOUNT, QLD
Terry Elliott QAS P/L, Chinchilla, Qld
Peter Gall The Organic Meat Co, Toowoomba, Qld
David Warriner Capricorn RPM Pty Ltd , Rockhampton, Qld
Joe Hughes Bundaleer Pastoral Co, VIA COBAR, NSW
Ted Clarke Producer Glenreagh, NSW
Glen Scammell Vitasoy Australia Products P/L, WODONGA, VIC
Michael Couglan Tarabah Livestock Co, MORUNDAH, NSW
Dalene Brook OBE Beef, Brisbane, Qld
Quentin Wright Doughboy Mtn Livestock Co, WOLLOMOMBI, NSW

BFA still wishes to assist with fostering networks between growers and the formation of producer groups as initiated in previous livestock e-circulars. This project is on the agenda for the livestock subcommittees and progress will be reported in coming updates.


CLASSIFIED LISTINGS:

To view cattle and sheep listings to buy and to sell, please paste the following link in your browser:
http://news.bfa.com.au/classifieds/


Holly Vyner
BFA Public Relations Officer
T: 07 3350 5716 (International +61 7 3350 5716)
F: 07 3350 5996 (International +61 7 3350 5996)
E: media@bfa.com.au
W: www.bfa.com.au

BIOLOGICAL FARMERS OF AUSTRALIA CO OP LTD - THE VOICE OF AUSTRALIAN ORGANICS
HEAD OFFICE
PO Box 530 Level 1, 766 Gympie Rd (Brisbane)
CHERMSIDE QLD 4032
FOR ORGANIC CERTIFICATION QUERIES: Australian Certified Organic can be contacted via www.australianorganic.com.au