December 13, 2022
Biosecurity networks in Southeast Asia crucial for Australia's defence against animal diseases, industry official notes
Biosecurity 'neighbourhood watch' networks across livestock export supply chains throughout Southeast Asia will continue to be pivotal to Australia's forward-defence against animal disease incursions, according to NT Livestock Exporters' Association chief executive officer Tom Dawkins.
Dawkins said the commercial partnerships Australian exporters maintain with customers across key cattle import regions in countries like Indonesia and Vietnam had given Australia a clear line of sight into the regional spread of lumpy skin disease (LSD) and foot and mouth disease (FMD).
"Without the live trade, Australia just wouldn't have the real-time biosecurity 'eyes and ears' across SE Asia which is proving so valuable in monitoring and managing the spread of these diseases," Dawkins said. "I commend the important government-to-government work underway which is crucial, but there's just no substitute for the buy-in we've got with livestock importers. The live trade is built on collaborative commercial partnerships and real-time communication to maintain animal health and welfare, all of which proving critical in the way the way the regional response to LSD and FMD is coordinated."
Dawkins also pointed to the spread of African swine fever in Asia in recent years which, by comparison, showed the difference for Australia between disease monitoring and mitigation in industries and import countries where the country maintains commercial livestock partnerships and where no such supply chain relationships exist.
Dawkins represented the NT Livestock Exporters' Association and the NT Buffalo Industry Council last week in Jakarta, where he traveled with Northern Territory government representatives including NT Minister for Agribusiness Paul Kirby and NT Cattlemen's Association CEO Will Evans.
The NT delegation looks at strengthening biosecurity collaborations with Indonesia and was involved in a special roundtable meeting with industry and government officials to discuss livestock disease management and mitigation.
"If we want to see how commercial cattle enterprises in Indonesia can manage ongoing threats of incursions of serious viral diseases, we can look to the success of our customers in Vietnam," Dawkins said. "Feedlots in Vietnam have shown the way to manage outbreaks risks as they arise, to protect the wellbeing of the animals in their supply chain and continue to supply healthy, fresh beef to the market.
"Australia and Indonesia have the luxury of sharing similar ‘splendid isolation' mentalities in terms of biosecurity, whereas Vietnam is part of the greater Mekong region where contemplating disease management is shaped by the long-standing flow of livestock and other produce across national borders."
Dawkins said live export supply chains were already showing what a ‘back to business' trade pathway would look like in the event that either LSD or FMD reached Australia.
"If an incursion was confirmed and Australia's market access for livestock and meat was slammed shut, it's increasingly clear that live cattle exports out of the north to SE Asia markets would emerge as a first major outlet for our animals," he said. "Live export would lead the market recovery, drawing on our partnerships with cattle importers going back decades to renegotiate protocols and vaccine rules to get healthy, disease-free animals back on export ships.
"Our experiences in countries like Vietnam give us a head-start in contemplating how live export trade can viably continue, or quickly resume, by working with our customers to manage disease risks through the proven biosecurity controls already practiced in livestock export supply chains."
Dawkins added that "the demand for quality fresh beef from Australian cattle is still high and will remain a trusted and sought-after source of protein for a significant number of consumers across (Southeast) Asia."
- Beef Central
