AGRICULTURE Minister Murray Watt held in-person talks in Indonesia this week as efforts ramp up to contain the spread of foot and mouth disease (FMD).
Mr Watt will be accompanied by senior officials from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, including Australia’s Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Mark Schipp, along with National Farmers’ Federation president Fiona Simson.
Mr Watt said the two-day visit was the next step in the Federal Government’s effort to combat FMD, building on new biosecurity measures introduced, including extra screening of travellers, luggage and mail, biosecurity detector dogs, more information for travellers and signage in airports.
The government said the ministerial mission will “solidify efforts by both countries to prevent FMD spreading further”.
“The Albanese Government is taking strong action on FMD at home and abroad. This two-pronged approach is about strengthening our biosecurity defences at home, and supporting Indonesia to manage and contain the outbreak there,” Mr Watt said.
“The visit will build upon the strong foundation made by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to Indonesia last month, where he offered vaccines and technical expertise to assist Indonesia responding to FMD.
“FMD would have a significant impact on Australian agriculture if it reaches our shores, and we are taking practical measures to prevent that.”
While in Indonesia, Mr Watt will meet with the Indonesian Ministers for Agriculture, Disaster Management and Fisheries, as well as with leading Indonesian agribusiness representatives.
Victorian Farmers Federation president Emma Germano said that news of the disease reaching the popular holiday island of Bali was very concerning for farmers.
“The risk of tourists unknowingly bringing home FMD is very real. We’ve kept it out of Australia for over 100 years and we need to do all we can to keep it that way,” Ms Germano said.
“The reality is that if FMD enters Australia, our cows, sheep, pigs and any cloven-hoofed animal will be at serious risk from this highly contagious disease.”
Ms Germano said that a combination of traveller preventative measures and an increased Commonwealth Government biosecurity safety net is our best chance to stop the spread in its tracks.
“With flights between Victoria and Bali departing a number of times each day, we can’t afford for a disease superhighway to open up between Denpasar and Victoria,” she said.
Shadow Agriculture Minister David Littleproud has claimed the Federal Government’s response to FMD was inadequate and leaves Australia vulnerable.
Following a briefing from the Department of Agriculture, Mr Littleproud said Labor’s new protocols to respond to the threat of FMD failed to go far enough to protect against a disease that could cost the nation almost as much as JobKeeper.
“The government has conceded that their proposal to increase the number of sniffer dogs at airports with incoming Indonesian flights cannot actually directly detect FMD if attached on boots,” Mr Littleproud said.
“There also remains a number of passengers who falsely declare or don’t declare all of their movements, while in Indonesia.
“The only way to effectively mitigate this vulnerability is to introduce disinfectant foot baths at airports.”
Member for Mallee Anne Webster said Victorian livestock industry employs 52,000 people and accounts for more than $8 billion in production value per year.
“FMD risks wiping out the industry, and the jobs it provides, with a flow-on social and economic impact that would result,” she said.
