Queensland United Egg Producers (QUEP)
Queensland United Egg Producers (QUEP) is a founding member of Egg Farmers of Australia.
QUEP is among many rural industry groups that sit under the auspice of the Queensland Farmers Federation (QFF).
QFF was formally established in 1992 with the purpose of providing a single voice for a diverse range of agricultural industry lobby groups that operate across Queensland.
Today, various peak state industry groups exist under the QFF umbrella. These cover horticulture, sugar cane, pork, cotton, irrigation, nurseries, oyster farming, carbon farming, milk and dairy, and egg farming – collectively representing more than 13,000 primary producers across Queensland.
John Coward is the CEO of Queensland United Egg Producers and as such is the appointed Queensland Director on the board of Egg Farmers of Australia.
In 2021, Dr Laurie Dowling was appointed to the QFF to assist with intensive animal industries including egg farming and egg policy.
Photo: Laurie Dowling (QFF Policy Adviser for Intensive Animal Industries) and John Coward (QUEP CEO and Egg Farmers of Australia Queensland Director).
Diamond Valley Eggs (VIC)
Tony Nesci has been involved in the egg industry for over 60 years. Tony’s family were market gardeners when he was a child and Tony then branched out into egg farming following a career in sales.
Tony is a former Egg Farmers of Australia Director for Victoria so has contributed at a representative level for his state.
Tony has been involved in egg production running both a medium sized farm to experience with the building and operation of a large egg production business.
Tony’s farm Diamond Valley Eggs sells to local butchers and restaurants as well as supermarkets and eggs for processing. The egg business is a family one, run by Tony with the next generation, his son Nick joining the business in the last few years.
Specialised Breeders Australia (Platinum Corporate Member) Damien Kelly
Specialised Breeders Australia is the largest supplier of day old chicks and point of lay pullets to the Australian egg industry. Based close to the Victorian city of Bendigo and employing approximately 140 staff, SBA supplies the world’s leading layer breeds, Hy-Line® Brown and Lohmann Brown to Australian egg producers.
Regular importation of both Hy-Line and Lohmann genetic lines, combined with world class breeding, rearing, production and hatchery facilities ensure Specialised Breeders Australia consistently supply livestock of the highest quality to egg farms across Australia.
A team of Services Managers provide practical husbandry and technical support to customers nationwide.
Specialised Breeders Australia is a quality assured poultry breeder and supplier in Australia, having received certification for Quality Assurance (AS/NZS ISO 9001) and Food Safety (HACCP).
Tugrul Durali (QLD)
Tugrul Durali is a familiar face to Australian egg farmers as the representative for Avian Management Services.
The company researches new technology and supplies innovative equipment to nation’s egg and poultry sectors.
Some of these innovations include shed floor robots, to train young hens to nest and reduce the incidence of eggs being laid on floors, as well as bio-secure composting equipment for egg and poultry farms.
Tugrul’s knowledge of the egg sector stems from his days growing-up on his grandfather’s egg and broiler farm near Gallipoli in Turkey.
He graduated from University of Istanbul and Turkish Army Veterinary College as Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) served as a Veterinarian Lieutenant in Horse & Dog Regiments.
After returning to civil life, he trained on poultry breeder health, management and artificial insemination in Israel.
In 2006, he moved to Australia and joined Red Lea Chicken and worked in various technical roles under the supervision of Dr Ben. After 12 years of production and management experience, he joined Alltech as Poultry Species Leader for Asia Pacific region.
After three years in Asia, Tugrul moved to New Zealand to manage the Bromley Park Hatchery Group’s meat and layer bird breeding operation. This included poultry ranging from pure lines to commercial lines. The operation involved three hatcheries and an accredited avian quarantine facility.
Tugrul eventually returned back to Sydney to set up his own consultancy. He serviced many poultry operations in Europe, Asia and China – including duck, layer, and broiler birds at different genetic levels.
When the COVID-19 pandemic started, he was contracted by Game Farm Pty Ltd – the largest quail, spatchcock and corn-fed chicken producer in Australia. Tugrul completed several projects including: a new quail breeding facility, hatchery and commercial quail operation for supplying quail meat and eggs.
More recently, he moved to Brisbane due to his wife’s new role in University Queensland.
His focus with Avian Management Services has been involved in providing new technologies to Australian farmers to revolutionise on-farm waste management, shed floor efficiency and virtual bird monitoring.
One such innovation is the Spoutnic – a robot that takes care of ‘floor walking’ to train younger flocks to learn nesting skills. It is the only poultry robot with proven floor egg reduction results in Australia.
Another innovation is the Robust Biodrum, which provides cost effective and bio-secure composting for all organic farms wastes including dead birds, used litter and reject eggs.
Andrew and Lisa Postregna (Victoria)
Andrew and Lisa run Tamarix Poultry Farm in Bangholme Victoria.
Andrew’s father Gus (Agostino) began the egg business in the early 1960’s in Noble Park and after marrying Alma moved to Keysborough where a new farm was set up with Gus’s brothers in the early 1970’s. After the family parted ways, Gus set up another farm where Tamarix Poultry Farm is currently located.
Andrew and his wife Lisa are second generation farmers, traditionally producing cage eggs and recently having expanded to barn production. The business runs a multi-aged flock on the current site.
Andrew enjoys farming a nutritious product and building on his industry knowledge by attending egg seminars in Australia and abroad.
The current site has a shop front called White & Yolk being a highlight of the Tamarix business. Visitors to the shop love to have a picture taken in front of the big golden egg!
For more information check out their website – http://tamarix.com.au/
Tom and Jo Moore (New South Wales)
Tom and Jo from beef and horticulture families, have worked hard as first-generation egg farmers to take on board new and cutting edge practices at their free range egg farm.
With an increasing demand for production, the family commenced egg farming in 2015 and New England Free Range Eggs have gone from strength to strength. Tom and Jo enjoyed designing their farm but could see straight away that there must be a better way to keep free range birds. Tom then applied for and was awarded a Nuffield Scholarship to investigate the future of housing systems for free range egg production.
Moore Eggs, New England Free Range Eggs have won multiple Australian Food Awards’ medals and hope to continue to improve how they produce eggs into the future.
Dr Rod Jenner (Queensland)
Dr Rod Jenner is a poultry vet and owner of Rosetta Management Consulting.
In conjunction with Stephen Page, Rod developed the Antimicrobial Stewardship Framework Guideline for the egg industry.
Rod continues to provide support to industry on antimicrobial issues to help further the understanding of egg farmers to review, develop and implement best practice.
Rod has been a key supporter of Egg Farmers of Australia in providing technical poultry knowledge through the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Poultry process.