Dairy leaders urge Australia to throw “the kitchen sink” at FMD
The Australian dairy industry has enacted the emergency animal disease team to coordinate the dairy value chain’s response to the heightened threat of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD).
Representatives of the dairy industry’s farming, processing and research and development sectors, from Australian Dairy Farmers, Australian Dairy Products Federation and Dairy Australia, are part of this team.
“Together, the dairy industry and the Australian government, are working together to prevent an incursion of FMD in Australia, not just from Indonesia, but from other countries as well,” Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) president Rick Gladigau says.
Mr Gladigau says the dairy industry supports the Australian Government’s increased surveillance and testing of meat and other animal products for FMD, both at the border and through targeted checking of retail outlets as well as the amplified measures as recently announced. The addition of sanitised foot mats at Australian airports and more control measures in Indonesia are welcome, too, and the industry looks forward to these being rolled out as soon as possible at all appropriate airports," he says.
“We have been working closely with the Government every step of the way. We’re asking the Government to throw everything at FMD, especially at our borders, and take all suitable measures to ensure that FMD does not enter Australia!” says Mr Gladigau.
“Border checks of imported food products – in travellers’ luggage and retailers’ consignments – are vital because the main way FMD is spread worldwide is in food. It’s not just in footwear. It’s not only from Indonesia. Where the Government can do more, then we look forward to them doing so.”
Mr Gladigau says some media outlets reported yesterday that Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry testing had detected FMD when this was not the case. Viral fragments were detected – not the disease. “We urge the media to use extreme caution in their reporting. Australia is free of FMD and LSD,” he says.
“These detections of viral fragments are a timely reminder that Australia needs the strictest biosecurity measures possible. There are no silver bullets for biosecurity. There is no one measure that works on its own.
“It's everyone’s job to ensure emergency animal diseases do not enter Australia. Biosecurity is everyone’s business. We all have a role to play in protecting Australia’s livestock industry from pests and diseases.”
The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences estimates that a widespread FMD outbreak in Australia would have a direct economic impact of around $80 billion.