Disease control vital
FOOT and mouth disease could cost the Australian beef market billions of dollars if an outbreak was allowed to spread due to poor biosecurity.
That was the message heard at the Agricultural Climate Resilience Project’s biosecurity information session at Inverloch last Thursday.
Participants heard from Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources biosecurity officer Craig Swain who outlined the services the department offers farmers.
Mr Swain said the biggest biosecurity threat to Australian farmers was foot and mouth disease.
If foot and mouth disease was detected once it has spread to many properties, the price of cattle would fall 80 per cent and would only recover to a fall of 20 per cent after 10 years.
If the outbreak is confined to less than 10 properties, there would only be a 10 per cent loss.
The department has a help line farmers can call if they are at all concerned about unusual animal health issues, which is 1800 675 888.
Dr Pat Kluver from the Livestock Biosecurity Network spoke about the practical steps farmers can take to safeguard their herds from introduced pests and diseases.
Dr Kluver outlined hot wet summers, which are part of a climate change scenario, were most likely to bring disease south. Bluetongue, which is carried by a sandfly like midge, can be blown south by a strong cyclone, the intensity of which will increase due to a changing climate, as can mosquitoes which carry other diseases.
Liver fluke was also spreading south due to warm wet summers and can be found in southern Gippsland.
Other threats included drench resistant worms, footrot, lice, Ovine Johne’s Disease and brucellosis in sheep herds and Bovine Johne’s Disease, pestivirus, nematodes and theileria in cattle herds.
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