Australia as food producer

Title

Language

English

Source

Panorama Volume XVII (No. 5) May 1966

Year

1966

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Abstract

What Australia produces could largely be grown and developed by the Filipinos if they really dedicate themselves to constructive work

Fulltext

■ What Australia produces could largely be grown and developed by the Filipinos if they really dedicate themselves to constructive work. AUSTRALIA AS FOOD PRODUCER Australia traditionally is one of the world’s greatest exporters of food. It has ex ported food products for more than a century. Austra lian dairy foods, eggs, fruit, honey and wine, as well as many other fine foods, are found on meal tables all around the world. Recent instances of how Australian food has caught on in various countries throughout the world are: In 1957 West Germany took only 365 644 cases of Australian apples. In 1965 this figure reached 2 million cases. Following a trial shipment of 300 cases of Australian oranges to France in 1964, that country bought 119,000 cases in 1965. In the two years to June 30, 1965, Japan has doubled its imports of Australian beef and veal and increased its purchases of Australian mutton fivefold. Greece, in the five years to 1964, increased its imports of Australian products — mostly food — from $A1,600,000 (P7,024,000) $A11,400,000 (P50.046.000). This increasing worldwide demand for food from Aus tralia is built on confidence — confidence in the consis tently high quality of Aus tralian food products, and in the strict system of govern ment inspection which en sures that the foods for ex port maintain Australia’s re putation as a food producer. Whether he buys frozen meat by the ton, or a single can of sun-ripened Austra lian fruit, the overseas cus tomer can be sure that every stage in its production was carried out with care and skill, backed by constant scientific research. In Australia’s m o d er n meatworks, for example meat intended for export is killed and processed in accordance with the religious belief of customers in export coun tries. A Mohammedan is re tained on the staff of meat 12 Panorama works from which meat is ex ported to countries of the Middle East. All meat in tended for these countries is killed by a qualified member of the faith. Australian exports of meat to the Middle East rose by 1,821 tons to 4,687 tons in 1964. A large proportion of this was boned meat, espe cially retail cuts — meat ex ported as retail cuts keeps better, packs better and sim plifies handling on arrival. Australia exports a total of 300,000 tons of meat a year either frozen, chilled or canned. A nationwide sys tem of government inspec tion ensures high standards, and the animals themselves are specially bred for meat production. The Australian Department of Primary In dustry maintains constant su pervision over all the export operations. Department ins pectors, working under the supervision of qualified ve terinary officers, thorougly inspect all animals, both be fore and after slaughter. Australian fruit and other foods for canning are picked at the peak of ripeness and processed immediately. Can neries are situated in the cen ter of growing areas to keep the delay between harvesting and canning to a minimum. Only the best quality, sunripened fruit is selected, and many varieties are specially grown for their suitability for canning. Australian can ned peaches, pears and pine apple are famous the world over. Australia’s dairy industry also has a world-wide repu tation. Each year it produces more than one thousand mil lion gallons of milk — some of which is used to make 200,000 tons of butter and 56,000 tons of cheese. Aus tralia leads the world in ma ny aspects of the modern pro cessing techniques used in her dairy foods industry. Australian butter, made from low-acidity cream for good keeping qualities, is processed in huge automa tically controlled stainless steel churns, each of 5,000 lb. capacity. The processes of washing, salting, cooling and wrapping the butter are also mechanized — Australian butter is untouched by hand throughout processing. Cheese making is an im portant part of the Austra lian dairy industry. Austra May 1966 13 lia exported 28,000 tons of cheese in 1963-64. More than 40 types of cheese are now made in Australia, but cheddar is still the most im portant cheese type. Australian wines have won many awards in international competitions, and because of the scientific controls, Aus tralia is now producing uni formly excellent wines, judg ed highly by world standards. Almost every type of wine, as well as brandy, is pro duced — totalling 35 million gallons a year. Only the finest wines are permitted to be exported, and Australian wine can be found in the cellars of wine lovers through out the world. As well as the traditional wines, Australia produces wines with a character all their own — a definite Aus tralian personality. In this, the wine industry has some thing in common with an other Australian industry — honey producing. — From The Manila Times, April 26, 1966. PREJUDICE A man who thinks he is guarding himself against 'prejudices by resisting the authority of others, leaves open every avenue to singularity, vanity, self-conceit, obstinacy, and many other vices, all tending to wrap the judgment, and prevent the natural operation of his faculties. We are not satisfied with our own opinions, whatever we may pretend, till they are ra tified and confirmed hy suffrage of the rest of man kind. We dispute and wrangle forever; we endeavor to get men to come to us when we do not go to them. — Sir Joshua Reynolds. 14 Panorama

pages

12+

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