The state’s sheep, beef and dairy producers are slowly but steadily signing up to the new on-farm biosecurity program One Biosecurity to keep their flocks and herds disease-free.
But there is a long way to reach the goal of 1000 properties signed up by June.
In the first six months, 297 registered enterprises joining the voluntary program covering 238 properties along with five agents.
PIRSA, with Livestock SA, held workshops in the South East recently and more are planned across the state next year.
Primary Industries Minister Tim Whetstone urged all producers to participate in One Biosecurity, saying the more producers involved the stronger the program will be.
Conscientious producers will continue to do the right thing but there will always be a small minority of producers that are after self-benefit over industry.
- HAYDN LINES
“One Biosecurity is a key tool in driving a stronger future and building a more profitable livestock sector,” he said.
This year saw big changes in the management of endemic diseases in SA, with ovine johnes disease-infected flocks released from quarantine and those with footrot and lice able to trade more freely. The onus has shifted to producers to be better informed on the health status of livestock they buy.
Livestock SA president Joe Keynes says One Biosecurity is a valuable producer tool but also about protecting export market access.
“The naysayers may see it as another piece of paper to fill out but if we are going to be saying to our customers we are clean and green in SA we need to prove it,” he said.
“This is a way of easily documenting this that only takes a couple of hours.”
In October at the Keith Merino Breeders Association annual off-shears sale, about 80 per cent of the 13,391-head yarding were sold with One Biosecurity star ratings.
Related reading: One Biosecurity to strengthen SA's livestock biosecurity
“We have a reputation for having a quality sale where the sheep are well-presented and well-bred so in that we wanted to be able to supply the data,” KMBA chairman Haydn Lines said.
He believes seeing the health status of sheep placarded on pens has merit in the new deregulated market and said the move was well-received by buyers.
The self-assessment process was not too onerous either and enabled breeders to learn where they could improve their rating.
But Mr Lines says the success of One Biosecurity will ultimately be determined by buyers.
“Like anything new it takes time, but its success will not be the number of sellers that sign up but the number of buyers 12 months on that check the status of sheep prior to AuctionsPlus or physical sales,” he said.
It is a risk-based system not no-risk though, so anyone buying animals still needs to inspect them and isolate them.
- MARY CARR
He believes the five-star rating he and wife Poppy received on their Paraweena property was an accurate reflection of their on-farm biosecurity practices, being part of the brucellosis and OJD accreditation schemes for many years.
On a personal level though, Mr Lines is disappointed lice and footrot have been deregulated in SA.
”Conscientious producers will continue to do the right thing but there will always be a small minority of producers that are after self-benefit over industry and they are the ones who will flaunt the two above laws,” he said.
Program protects overseas markets
SA has a low prevalence of many animal health diseases, and One Biosecurity will give producers the tools to keep it that way, according to PIRSA chief veterinary officer Mary Carr.
“One Biosecurity’s power is the relationship it forms between producer and government, which helps protect access to overseas markets through reporting data and knowledge about farmers' on-farm biosecurity practices,” she said.
“We are an exporting country and without exports the livestock industry here in SA would not be sustainable."
Dr Carr says One Biosecurity is an awareness tool enabling sellers to promote their good on-farm practices, but also helps buyers make decisions about the level of risk they are willing to accept for diseases such as lice, footrot and ovine johnes disease.
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Related reading: SA producers set for OJD management changes
"One of the most common complaints we receive is producers not being able to access Sheep Health Declarations before a sale, so now we have technology that they can be at the saleyards and make informed choices," she said. “It is a risk-based system not no risk though, so anyone buying animals still needs to inspect them and isolate them."
She says the information provided by participating producers will be verified against records such as PIRSA databases and PIRSA staff will be conducting on-farm audits for One Biosecurity.
Dr Carr says she is honoured to have stepped up as CVO recently after being in the deputy role for past four years and 10 years working for PIRSA.
