Australia issues reminder of swine feed restriction

The Victorian Department of Primary Industries principal animal health officer had issued a reminder to pig producers that swill feeding is banned in Australia.

Swill is any food waste containing meat or other animal products of byproducts, apart from Australian milk byproducts fed to pigs.

Chief animal officer Gerry Watt said any livestock owners suspected of feeding banned material to pigs will be followed up to ensure the practice ceases immediately.

Swill feeding is used in many countries as a cheap source of pig feed, but Australia banned it as it is a dangerous practice, said Watt.

Watt added that the FMD outbreak costs the UK billions of pounds.

Watt said Australia was fortunate to be free from diseases such as FMD and Classical Swine Fever, as outbreaks of such diseases would severely hurt the livestock sectors and the Australian economy.

''Feeding of infected and illegally imported meat or dairy product scraps to pigs is seen as the most likely way in which an exotic disease could be introduced into Australia,'' Watt stated.