The secure your farm: secure your future section updates you on the latest program initiatives and news poll results on key issues from the Farm Biosecurity program.

Farm Biosecurity is an Animal Health Australia initiative to engage livestock producers in good farm biosecurity practice.

An issues audit was undertaken earlier this year to determine the top issues affecting jurisdiction and industry members, looking at the probability and impact of disease, risky practices, and an overall picture of strengths and weaknesses in the animal health system.

The secure your farm: secure your future tagline aims to communicate the importance of biosecurity to livestock producers on a number of levels.

‘Secure your farm’ opens the dialogue with livestock producers to discuss ways their farms may be under threat or placed at biosecurity risk, and how, in the course of everyday farming, they can mitigate against that risk.

‘Secure your future’ places the context of the dialogue directly with the individual, moving the campaign to something more personal, direct and relevant to livestock producers and reminding them of the economic impact biosecurity practice can have on daily life and future returns.

New Approach
The new three-pronged approach of:

• Issues management
• Disease readiness
• Community relations

will provide a level of depth and breadth that will drive Farm Biosecurity messages and priorities through multiple channels, while being highly responsive to changing priorities in the rural sector.

The five key areas imposing the greatest risks on farm biosecurity practice identified in the issues audit are:

Animal Movement - This includes fencing, purchase of new animals, animal transport and the introduction of new animals.

People Movement - This includes not only people, but their vehicles and equipment, including borrowed equipment or suppliers paid to perform a function on farm such as vets and farriers. It also includes trespassers. EI has particularly heightened awareness of the role of people - in carrying disease.

Feed - This focuses on biosecurity issues surrounding feed. While the focus is predominantly on disease, it is recognised there may also be broader food safety and trade angles implicit in feed management such as chemical residues.

Pests - Pests include all unwanted animal species. This could include feral animals, rodents and birds. It could also have implications for feed and water, again, dependent on the industry.

Water -This includes issues of water sanitation. Livestock industries saw issues relating to water such as drought, water use, etc as a high priority which gives it higher impact as a farm biosecurity topic.

Visitor Register Pads

Looking for a handy reminder of farm biosecurity?

AHA’s farm biosecurity visitor register pads are now available, making great giveaways for:

• Conferences
• Meetings
• Training days
• Field days
• Mailings
• Anywhere that livestock producers gather.

The visitor register tracks anyone coming onto the property for social or business purposes. While this is important in tracing a disease outbreak, records may also serve a dual purpose – such as replacing delivery logs – boosting their immediate practical value for producers.

The A4 printed pad, 25 pages on a cardboard backing, hole punched for handy filing is now available and includes the AHA logo in the top right corner. Check our website, www.farmbiosecurity.com.au, for downloadable copies for immediate use. Artwork is also available on request for AHA members and their members to add their own logo for distribution in their industry or local area.

A limited number of Visitor Register Pads are available for immediate distribution. If you would like some to pass on, please contact Thea McNaught-Reynolds ASAP.

Once they’re gone, they’re gone!