27 August 1998 Industry moves down education road to clean up stock effluent problem – self-responsibility the answer says working party

‘The Answer’ to the problem of effluent spillages from stock trucks is out – at least the first major step along the way is!

‘The Answer’ is in fact a video of that name, and accompanying pamphlet, produced by Lincoln University's Transport Studies Group in association with the National Stock Effluent Workgroup. And by the end of the year it will be followed by publication of an Industry Charter or Code of Practice for all concerned.

Effluent spilling on to roads from stock trucks is a significant problem in New Zealand and the national workgroup has defined its position clearly – "It is unacceptable to have large amounts of stock effluent on the road," it said in a 1997 statement. "Effluent spillages create a number of adverse effects relating to road safety, the environment and tourism."

The National Stock Effluent Workgroup came into being because initially no one wanted to ‘own’ the problem. It was established following a Road Controlling Authorities Forum in June 1997 and brought together representatives of all the parties involved – farmers, stock agents, livestock transport operators, saleyard operators, meat processing companies, roading authorities and regional councils.

In the workgroup's view everyone owned the problem and solutions had to start with an acknowledgement of that multiple ownership. Collective responsibility for arriving at an answer became the guiding principle.

It was an approach which ‘gelled’ with Lincoln University PhD researcher Jean-­Paul Thull who had already concluded that because the problem was multi-faceted and involved many different stakeholders, there was not going to be one simple solution.

"It was easy to see from the start that this was not just a livestock carrier's problem but a matter that belonged to everyone along the meat production chain from the farmers to the consumers and that they all had a role to play in dealing with it," says Mr Thull.

"And as the video says, 'If one link in the chain between the meat processing companies, the stock agents, the transportation companies and the farmer is broken, no significant change will ever take place'.

"Happily I think that we are now at the stage of having a very strong chain of commitment to change and the video is the start of the educational process to bring about that change."

The 13-minute video heightens awareness of the problems, promotes solutions and self-regulation; encourages cooperation, coordination and confidence building among stakeholders; and encourages quality management throughout the supply chain from farm to table.

Those speaking on the video include farmers, transport operators, Meat Board representatives, stock and station agent representatives, scientists, and local government representatives.

The spirit of the approach to the problem is expressed by North Canterbury farmer Peter Roberts – "We know that effluent is a problem but I feel that we don't need legislation to remedy it. We need education and cooperation especially among the stock firms, the drafters, the freight companies and the farmers."

Tom Lambie, a National Vice-President of Federated Farmers says much the same: "The result we would like to see from the farming community's point of view is a 'Win-Win' situation for everyone in the industry and the general public. We see that with a good, well-coordinated planning regime we will be able to stand stock in order to prepare the animals properly for transportation. The 'Win-­Win' situation comes with us being able to minimise the amount of effluent that needs to be captured by the transport industry on the trucks and also reducing the possibility of any spillage from those trucks on to the roads."

Trying to achieve that ‘Win-Win’ situation has involved Jean-Paul Thull in two years of intensive scientific research (defining, quantifying and analysing the problem) and endless rounds of patient diplomacy (dealing with all the people and groups involved).

"Once the extent of the problem became clear it was obvious that despite what angry motorists might hope for, there would be no single 'quick fix'. It's not a matter of simply providing an endless network of effluent dump sites all over the place, or legislating to keep trucks' tailgates closed and effluent tank taps shut tightly," says Mr Thull.

"Starting with the problem of effluent on the road, I have tried to come up with something that benefits everyone, right down to the consumer of meat. Indeed it just might be that in the end the consumer will provide the ultimate leverage in ensuring a solution to the problem."

As beef exporter and restaurateur Brent Rawstron of Rossendale Wines, Christchurch, says on the video: "Consumers are demanding quality, particularly in terms of tenderness and palatability. If they are not satisfied with the quality they are getting they can easily choose pork, pasta or poultry as alternatives."

Through the work of scientists such as Dr Roy Bickerstaffe, Professor of Food Technology at Lincoln University, it is now known that low-stress handling of stock in the 48 hours prior to slaughtering is a major determinant in creating an animal with the right pH level to optimise tenderness. Lowering the stress level of animals at the transportation stage can be a big factor in the subsequent quality of the meat.

One way of reducing both the stress and the volume of effluent on the trucks is to prepare stock, including ‘standing’ them for a period before transportation so that they ‘empty out’ before trucking. This means they will be presented more cleanly on arrival at the meat processing plant and so will not have to undergo the additional stress of extensive hosing down.

Crucial to the ‘standing’ and ‘emptying out’ of stock is careful attention to timetabling from the on-farm presentation, selection and collection of animals to their off-loading at destinations.

As Temuka farmer Mark Houston says: "Success is really dependent on stock companies and stock agents giving farmers plenty of notice. There is nothing worse than being rung up at the last minute to get stock in, especially at night."

NZ Meat Board and Canterbury Meat Packers director Alan Grant makes the same point: "Timing and confidence are central to the matter. It is up to the sections along the processing chain to arrange the timing so that the farmer can have the confidence to put his stock into his yards, empty them out for the required time and be sure that carcass weight loss doesn't occur so that the product is of optimum quality when it is processed."

The strongest point in favour of what the workgroup has come up with is that it is a self-imposed scheme involving all members of the supply chain, says Lincoln University's Professor of Transport Studies Chris Kissling, who is supervising Mr Thull's doctoral research.

"Every member along the supply chain has an opportunity to influence the others towards better practice. It needs to be self-policing, rather than having legislators hit everyone over the head with various enforcements."

That self-policing will be based on the Code of Practice which is currently in draft form and will be promulgated before the end of the year. Its production fulfils a major outcome of the National Stock Effluent Workgroup.

While the educational programme, spearheaded by the video and the pamphlet, will encourage all stakeholders to reduce the overall amount of effluent collected, there remains an acceptance that some effluent will still have to be delivered with the livestock at the point of destination or discharged in transit. Hence a further outcome sought by the workgroup has been the planning for strategically located facilities at destinations and in transit to accommodate future stock effluent needs and considering how such effluent dump sites will be funded.

To get a ‘handle’ on the number of starting points and destinations, the frequency of journeys, distances and times involved, volume of stock involved and other essential data, Jean-Paul Thull has produced a computer model for a network of dump sites along the state highways of the South Island.

Using this model Mr Thull is able to test the impact of destinations receiving effluent; standing stock to empty out prior to transportation; the size of holding tanks on trucks; and weather conditions (wet or dry), in order to ascertain the minimum number of in-transit dump sites needed on highways in the South Island.

"Health hazards and traffic dangers aside, effluent spillage is one big blot on New Zealand's 'clean, green' image," says Mr Thull, "and ultimately the marketplace won't tolerate it. That's the bottom line!"

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand