Animal health and on-farm biosecurity

Australian agriculture benefits enormously from its freedom from the more devastating epidemic diseases that plague livestock industries in other parts of the world. The introduction of exotic diseases could cause serious production losses to livestock industries in this country, jeopardise exports of livestock and livestock products and/or have serious public health implications.

It is therefore essential that effective contingency plans and competency assessed, trained personnel are available to counter any diseases that penetrate our quarantine barriers or otherwise cause an emergency situation. The Australian Veterinary Emergency Plan (AUSVETPLAN) is a coordinated national response plan for the control and eradication of high impact animal diseases.

APL is party to the Animal Health Australia Cost Sharing Deed of Agreement on Emergency Animal Disease Response (EADR). This deed splits financial responsibilities in the event of a disease outbreak between impacted industries and the government.

Biosecurity
Farm biosecurity brings together a range of practices that aim to keep Australian livestock free of disease - with a focus on practices livestock producers can implement in their operations on a day to day basis. Keeping disease out is important because animal diseases can:

• Reduce the productivity of livestock

• Affect farm incomes

• Affect animal welfare

• Reduce the value of farming land

• Close export markets or reduce the prices Australian producers can get for their exports - with a flow on effect to domestic producers.

Main emergency animal diseases (EADs) that could affect the pig industry?

• Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD);

• Classical swine fever;

• African swine fever;

• Aujeszky's disease;

• Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS);

• Postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS)

Further information on Farm Biosecurity