While not as widely consumed in Australia, pork is the most consumed meat in the world, making up 36% of global meat consumption! Lean pork is a part of the lean meat and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds and legumes/beans food group of the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. This food group provides a wide variety of other nutrients such as: iodine, iron, zinc, vitamins – especially B12, and essential fatty acids.
As part of QCWA Country Kitchen’s Meet a Farmer initiative, today we get to learn about Queensland pork producer Laurie Brosnan. Laurie is the director of Betta Pork Family Farms, which prides itself on being one of the most sustainable and vertically integrated pork producers in Australia. Betta Pork specialise in delivering an environmentally friendly, quality assured product to the modern Australian market whose desire for greater animal welfare is their highest priority.
Betta Pork was the second stop on Health Promotion Team Leaders, Aleks and Katy’s, trip around the QCWA Port Curtis Division, alongside Country Kitchens facilitator Maree McKelvie. To get caught up on the Meet a Farmer initiative and to check out their first farm stop with Herb and Dryland farmer Trevor, head to last month’s blog.
Health Promotion Team Leader Katy with a piglet at Betta Pork Farms
Upon meeting Laurie, the passion for his farm and industry is clear and it is hard to imagine someone who is better suited to the job. For Laurie, continuing his family tradition of pig farming was a no brainer.
My grandfather was a pig farmer, and it’s what I grew up doing. I went to Gatton and studied agriculture and animal husbandry at the college, but I realized there if I wanted to study pigs I had to study chickens, so I decided to go to the UK to be able to study pigs exclusively! My family started this farm in 1956 and I have been running it ever since I returned from the UK.
While being a pig farmer was something Laurie was born and bred to do, his passion for farming and feeding Australian communities is clear.
I can see the difference I am making. We are feeding a nation and communities. The ability to do that job is unique and special.
Laurie Brosnan, Director, Betta Pork
Growing up around Biloela, Laurie has fond memories of the QCWA, from the scones and friendship to the ongoing support they have provided to country communities.
In times of crisis the QCWA has been around in our rural communities as they have a connection to the country and know what is needed in our farming communities.
Exploring the Betta Pork farm with Laurie, innovation is everywhere from the electric sow feeders that can track each sows’ nutritional needs, to the biogas plant which converts methane and other waste into energy for the farm. Laurie has considered future production, animal welfare and environmental sustainability in everything he does at Betta Pork.
Just like your phones have changed, animal production has changed. When I went to Gatton one of the lessons was you had to plant in a straight line. Now most people steer with just GPS and you don’t need those manual skills. Mapping the pig’s production and health is all done electronically. The pigs are bred in a nucleus herd about 50 km from the farm. We have 1600 sows that are electronically fed, and portion controlled to optimize their body condition. From there, they move into faring pens to give birth, where they have the space to turn and walk around, we are the only facility in Australia to do that… all the housing spaces are climate controlled, ensuring it is nice and cool in summer and warm in winter.
While Laurie’s innovation has helped ensure a successful operation, there is still a huge shortage of skilled labour in the livestock industry. It is often difficult to employ and maintain staff and Laurie thinks the closure of agricultural colleges in regional and rural Queensland has had a huge impact on the agricultural labour market.
Labour has changed tremendously, in 1996 I employed my first overseas worker through the government scheme as a subsidy to my Australian staff. Now things have flipped and most of my staff come from overseas, where pig production and animal science are valued. There are not many agricultural colleges left in Queensland… giving little opportunity for Australian youth to learn about agriculture. They can go to university, but they do not get the hands-on learning that agriculture colleges provided. We struggle to find staff that want to work full time consistently, which is unfortunate.
Betta Pork piggery and feed mill
Looking to the future, Laurie hopes to continue to have an impact on innovation in the pork industry and would like to see younger generations getting more involved in agriculture and organisations like the QCWA that support farmers.
You can look for Betta Pork’s products locally around the Biloela area, as well as in select butchers across Queensland. For a full list of Betta Pork suppliers, head to the Betta Pork Website.
If you are feeling inspired to get some pork on your fork, try our Country Kitchen’s recipe for pork, sage and apple burgers with macadamia mustard! This recipe includes 1 ½ serves of fruit and veggies per portion!
To learn more about the QCWA Country Kitchens program or the Meet a Farmer initiative and possibly get involved, contact us at countrykitchens@qcwa.org.au.
The QCWA Country Kitchens program is funded by the Queensland Government through Health and Wellbeing Queensland.
Industry: Pork production
Location: Biloela, Queensland
QCWA Division: Port Curtis
QCWA Connection: Maree McKelvie, Division President, Port Curtis Division, QCWA member, Tannum Sands Branch
