October 26, 2022

Australia's AgForce urges for more to be done to protect local farmers in terms of biosecurity

Australian agriculture organisation AgForce has welcomed Australia's Labor government's confirmation of its commitment to biosecurity – but said more needs to be done to protect farmers.

As foot and mouth disease (FMD) and lumpy skin disease continue to threaten the country, the government's first budget since its election victory has outlined spending of $134.1 million over four years, to ramp up Australia's preparedness, AgForce noted. It will also fast-track $61.6 million from the Coalition government's March budget to improve domestic detection and response capabilities in Northern Australia and provide assistance to Indonesia to deal with its disease outbreaks – to be spent over the next two years instead of four as originally intended.

Additionally, over the next three years, $46.7 million has been allocated to speeding up the development of a national livestock traceability system - doubling the former Scott Morrison government's allocation of federal funding for the project.

The number of detector dogs will swell by 20 with $11.7 million allocated over the next four years to expand their footprint at mail centres and airports country-wide.

AgForce chief executive officer Michael Guerin welcomed the boost but said the government had failed to deliver on its clear election promise to do more to establish a sustainable and secure funding stream for Australia's biosecurity system.

"This significant investment in biosecurity is the result of a strong, detailed and multifaceted collaboration between AgForce, industry and the government," he said. "It's a small price to pay, given the $80 billion impact an outbreak of FMD alone could have on our national industry, and we applaud the commitment.

"However, there are a host of diseases and pests lurking in the shadows, poised to attack our crops, pastures and livestock at any moment, and it's frustrating that the government is yet to deliver on its election promise to deliver long-term sustainable funding arrangement to keep this country safe.

"For years governments have weakened our vital biosecurity system through under-resourcing. The time has come for Labor to put its money where its mouth is and make the long-term commitment to biosecurity that it promised voters.

"We do, however, understand that this is a transitional budget from a new government, and hope for further measures in the next, more traditional, May budget."

- AgForce