Page 10 - Australian Pork Newspaper

Farmers part of solution to reverse biodiversity decline
Image of an adult culex annulirostris. Photo: Stephen Doggett
New APIQ mosquito controls
IN order to support the symptoms of Japa- the open that could po-
industry, an update to the Australian Pork In- dustry Quality Assur- ance Program Stand- ards is now complete, with the addition of 4.4C mosquito controls in response to Japanese encephalitis virus.
nese encephalitis and how to keep themselves protected from JEV – that is, suitable clothing, repellents, vaccination.
tentially form and hold bodies of water.
These new performance indicators will help set up producers’ prepara- tions against JEV for this coming spring.
The Department of Health’s fact sheet ‘Pro- tecting Australians from JEV’ is a great resource to have on hand.
Producers must manage vegetation around the piggery and ponded areas to minimise spaces where adult mosquitoes can congregate.
Under the new stand- ards, producers are re- quired to have a pest management plan in place for mosquitos, in- cluding documented mosquito vector controls, records of mosquito ac- tivity levels, the adoption of non-chemical control measures and the use of approved chemicals – when and where required.
To help support pro- ducers with the imple- mentation of the new APIQ requirements, ad- ditional APIQ resources have been developed, in- cluding an example mos- quito control standard operating procedure and mosquito control record.
Both the integrated mosquito management guide and fact sheet can be found on either the na- tional Farm Biosecurity website or the APL web- site.
Producers must follow the handling and use of chemicals according to label and emergency per- mits where applicable in the new standards also.
The new performance indicators for mosquito control will be audited from Monday August 1, 2022.
As part of producers’ responsibilities, farm workers, family members and property residents must be made aware of
Producers can prepare their farms by reducing standing water sources and removing objects in
If you have any ques- tions or need assistance in implementing any of the new requirements, contact the APIQ man- agement team at apiq@ australianpork.com.au
Both resources are available from www. australianpork.com.au – ‘Mosquito control pro- cedure’ and ‘Mosquito control record’.
The guide provides in-depth information on control measures that producers can implement on farm.
It is important that pro- ducers continue to use and follow the Integrated Mosquito Management Principles for Piggeries guide, ensuring physical and chemical controls are used appropriately.
We encourage pro- ducers to utilise all re- sources available.
These include redun- dant equipment, scrap metal, tyres and drums.
THE National Farmers’ Federation is calling for investment and collabora- tion to reverse declining biodiversity following the State of the Environment Report released recently showing Australian biodi- versity is suffering signifi- cant decline and remains under threat.
the answer,” Ms Simson said.
trampling crops, destroying water quality and are a sig- nificant vector for disease spread, while their impact on native flora and fauna is equally damaging.
Understanding how the reforms to date have con- tributed to improved en- vironmental outcomes will be critical.
NFF president Fiona Simson said farmers sought discussion and detail from the Federal Government on “locking up” Australian landscape, which was not the answer to improving biodiversity.
“Farmers continue to do significant heavy lifting to implement controls on their own land, only to have it reinvaded and infested time and again from lack of management on public lands.
“Those processes have already commenced and need to be supported by government.”
“There must be a balance between economic and en- vironmental requirements, as well as a clear recog- nition that landscapes can provide multiple benefits,” Ms Simson said.
“Farmers are the custo- dians of 55 percent of Aus- tralian land and not only do farmers want to protect the land, they also want to improve it for generations to come,” Ms Simson said.
“Farmers are already leading the field and we are ready to do more to re- duce the spread of invasive species, as they not only damage the environment but are adversely impacting agriculture.”
The NFF recognises the impacts of droughts in the Murray-Darling Basin but notes these are cyclical, and the basin environment is currently thriving under a La Niña event that has seen the fruits of water reform, with substantial environ- mental water being strat- egically applied to effect environment repair.
“We look forward to en- gaging with the Environ- ment and Water Minister the Hon Tanya Plibersek on solutions that provide the best possible outcomes for Australia’s environment and agriculture.”
“It’s in farmers’ best in- terests to care for the en- vironment, as productive landscapes rich in biodi- versity mean they can grow the food and fibre to feed and clothe Australians and the world.”
For example, feral pigs are wreaking havoc in Australia, including con- tributing to lamb mortality,
“It has the potential to have the reverse effect on biodiversity, with a lack of land management allowing feral animals and plants to flourish, as well as height- ening the risks from fire, drought and flood.
“The NFF has for a long time recognised opportuni- ties to help manage biodi- versity and other natural capital assets and ensuring sensible exclusions are maintained,” Ms Simson said.
The NFF reiterates its call for a commitment to long-term funding for the Centre for Invasive Spe- cies Solutions, which pro- vides national collaborative research for a long-term pipeline of innovation to help meet invasive species challenges.
For years, the NFF has emphasised that the rela- tionship between agricul- ture and the environment must be holistic and extend to include investment in long-term feral animal and introduced weed suppres- sion, as well as managing landscapes to minimise fuel loads to reduce the risk of catastrophic fire and the commensurate destruction of biodiversity.
National Farmers’ Federation president Fiona Simson collaboration to reverse declining biodiversity. Photo:
is calling for investment and Steve Gonsalves
“Locking up land is not
When you demand performance, turn to the product you trust
Your trusted partner
Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Australia Pty. Ltd. Level 1, 78 Waterloo Road, North Ryde NSW 2113. ABN 53 071 187 285. ®Ingelvac CircoFLEX is a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH. All rights reserved. AU-POR-0029-2021
More than 10 years of experience with more data than any comparable vaccine
Page 10 – Australian Pork Newspaper, August 2022
www.porknews.com.au