NT Rural Review - August 2022
Note from our guest editor: Luke Bowen
Hello everyone!
Welcome to the August 2022 edition.
For the Territory and much of Australia, biosecurity has come sharply into focus. Off the back of rolling plant and pest incursions over recent decades, then COVID 19, the surprise arrival of Japanese Encephalitis, the re-emergence of banana freckle and now the dark shadow of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and lumpy skin disease in our region, we have plenty to think about! A recent biosecurity conference on the Gold Coast announced the ‘decade of biosecurity’. Well it’s been on for a bit longer than that, but if that tag line can increase attention and investment into the most critical needs of our industries and the people and communities of our regions, then let’s run with it. I think we all know, that we have a lot more work to do, to be prepared.
The arrival in Darwin of a returning traveller from Bali with an undeclared McDonald’s burger and a $2,600 fine has received world-wide attention, with much debate about appropriate penalties. Infected meat products ending up as pig food has always been seen as the high risk area for Australia and repeatedly sampling of smuggled and imported products into Australia have yielded FMD, African swine fever and other viral traces. The risks remain real and only last week results of testing on food products from supermarkets, the post and inbound travellers yielded viral traces. The left over hamburger or salami, the expired food from a supermarket or restaurant fed out to some backyard pigs are a risk of spreading the disease. Once infested pigs amplify viruses (aerosols from breath into the air) including FMD up to 3,000 times more effectively than cattle, sheep and goats and this can be carried many kilometres on the wind. If there is one message today - DO NOT FEED SWILL (animal products) to pigs! It is also illegal in Australia.
It is a great time to revisit farm biosecurity plans and a range of resources, information sessions and materials essential to underpinning the integrity of our products, production systems and markets.
You will find information in this edition. Please make contact with departmental staff or myself if required.
Luke Bowen
Deputy CEO
Agriculture Fisheries and Biosecurity
Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade
Sort article by region
Sort article by topic
Show Circuit a success for DITT team
The Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism staff have been touring the Territory’s show circuit keeping industry groups and public informed of the latest biosecurity measures.
Topic: Livestock, Horticulture, Biosecurity | Aug 2022
Global worker attraction campaign underway
National and international workers who are looking for a change are encouraged to #movetotheTerritory as part of a new global worker attraction campaign.
Topic: Livestock, Horticulture, Biosecurity | Aug 2022
Work, Stay, Play returns
Businesses experiencing workforce shortages can now register to participate in the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade’s Work, Stay, Play program to attract workers to relocate to the Territory.
Topic: Livestock, Horticulture, Biosecurity | Aug 2022
Important update for NT DAMA
Changes to the Northern Territory Designated Area Migration Agreement (NT DAMA) will better support Territory businesses address critical workforce shortages.
Topic: Livestock, Horticulture, Biosecurity | Aug 2022
Pasture monitoring on a research station
Every year, for almost 20 years, NT DITT staff have headed out to Victoria River Research station to collect pasture data. Here’s what a week of grass counting looks like on an NT research station.
Topic: Livestock | Aug 2022
Want more information? Find us on social media
You can find hundreds of publications on our website to search for information sheets. Follow us on social media or check out our growing tips on our YouTube channel.
Topic: Livestock, Horticulture | Aug 2022
Horticultural Netting Program - Trial funding now available for Northern Territory growers
Northern Territory growers who spend up to $200,000 per year installing or repairing protective netting can apply to have half their costs reimbursed under a new program.
Topic: Horticulture | Aug 2022
Biosecurity receives boost in Northern Territory Government Budget
The 2022/23 Northern Territory Government budget includes an annual increase of $1.9 million for increased biosecurity capacity.
Topic: Biosecurity | Aug 2022
Banana freckle detected in the Northern Territory
Banana freckle has been detected at properties in the Batchelor-Rum Jungle region and the Middle Point area in the Northern Territory’s Top End.
Topic: Biosecurity | Aug 2022
World Zoonoses Day! More important than ever
Awareness of the risks of zoonotic diseases – which can pass from animals to humans – is more important than ever on World Zoonoses Day.
Topic: Livestock, Biosecurity | Aug 2022
Reminder on regulatory requirement for Territory cattle movement
The NLIS tag is a permanent whole-of-life identification system that enables individual animals to be traced from property of birth to slaughter for food safety, product integrity and market access purposes. The NLIS is the main information system used throughout Australia to trace cattle in the event of an Emergency Animal Disease incident.
Topic: Livestock, Biosecurity | Aug 2022
Foot-and-mouth disease
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious animal disease that affects cloven hoofed animals including cattle, buffalo, camels, sheep, goats, deer and pigs. An incursion of the virus would have severe consequences for Australia’s animal health and trade.
Topic: Livestock, Biosecurity | Aug 2022
Biosecurity Northern Territory: The facts
So what does it mean and what does a Northern Territory Government biosecurity officer do?
Topic: Biosecurity | Aug 2022