against diseases, pests and weeds
against diseases, pests and weeds
against diseases, pests and weeds
Farm biosecurity is a set of measures designed to protect a property from the entry and spread of pests and diseases. Farm biosecurity is your responsibility, and that of every person visiting or working on your property.
Learn moreWe have tools, tips and manuals to help you implement farm biosecurity on your property. You will also find individual profiles for a range of livestock and crops: or you can create a profile tailored to your farm.
Learn moreThe best defence against pests and diseases is to implement sound biosecurity practices on your farm. Quick and simple measures built into everyday practice will help protect your farm and your future.
Almost anything moved onto your property can be a potential source of pests and diseases for livestock and plants. Monitor animals or plant materials that enter the property, as well as sources of water, feed and fertiliser.
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Responsibility for biosecurity doesn’t end when plant products or animals leave the farm gate. The measures in place on your property support biosecurity in your region.
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Feral animals, plant pests and weeds are a widespread nuisance but can also cause harm to your business, so they need to be actively controlled.
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If it can move, it can carry diseases, pests and weeds. That's why people, vehicles and equipment pose a high biosecurity risk and should be managed accordingly.
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Good on-farm hygiene reduces the risk of spreading pests and diseases. You can implement simple hygiene practices with feed and water sources, product packaging, storage facilities, livestock husbandry, waste materials and plant propagation.
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Ensure that staff are well trained and that you have the ability to trace where animals or plants have come from and where they went. Keep accurate records of purchases, sales and movements.
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An outbreak of an emergency animal disease (EAD) is a serious, though thankfully uncommon, occurrence, thanks to Australia’s geographic isolation and strong biosecurity measures at the border. However, there is no such thing as zero risk, particularly when it comes to diseases which can be harboured and transmitted by wildlife. Recent detections of avian influenza (AI) in Victoria has prompted Animal Health Australia (AHA) to issue a reminder to bird owners to take biosecurity seriously, even if they only have backyard hens.
The concept of social distancing will likely go down in history as one of the main things by which we remember 2020. Over the course of the year, keeping an appropriate distance between yourself and others has been touted as a key step in limiting the transmission of diseases between individuals. There are some significant parallels between human, animal and plant disease outbreaks, in terms of how they are managed. This is because the same basic principles are at play, regardless of what species the disease affects.
Rigorous and regular surveillance will protect your growing crops from new weeds, pests and diseases.
A video on cleaning and disinfecting greenhouses between crops gives step-by-step instructions on how to do this.
More Australian producers than ever before have implemented biosecurity practices to protect their properties from diseases, pests and weeds.
Preventing the introduction and spread of diseases, pests and weeds has been a big topic for our livestock industries over the past few years. Several states have introduced biosecurity responsibilities in legislation, quality assurance programs have added or improved their biosecurity modules, and the threat of exotic diseases reaching Australia is always increasing.
Much like the flu in human populations, many biosecurity risks to your farm are tied to seasonal conditions. Shifting wind patterns, rainfall and temperature can impact where we find pests, weeds, and both diseases and things which can spread them. With meteorologists suggesting that the coming seasons may be wetter than average, Animal Health Australia (AHA) is reminding livestock producers to pay close attention to what’s going on in their region as the weather changes.
The Australian Government has provided a grant of $600,000 to Plant Health Australia to fill some of the R&D gaps for the management of fall armyworm.
With pressures on our biosecurity system always growing, matching these threats with increasing awareness and investment is a top priority for governments and industry bodies. The Australian government recently announced further support for a steering group and a highly experienced coordinator to lead efforts against feral pigs, that can leverage off the renewed national framework for the management of wild dogs.
Diseases which can jump from animals to humans have been around for as long as our species has been domesticating others. Technically known as zoonoses (singular zoonosis) or diseases which are zoonotic, these can be a danger to the health of both humans and animals living and working in close proximity.