With foot-and-mouth disease and lumpy skin disease being major causes of concern the past few months, Agriculture Victoria is helping farmers learn how to keep their farms secure.<\/p>\n
Agriculture Victoria\u2019s Dairy Industry Development Officer, Richard Smith, says farm biosecurity planning \u201cis not a one-size-fits-all process\u201d, but resources are available to help you plan.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter conducting a risk assessment and action plan, the next step is to create a farm biosecurity plan. A farm biosecurity plan is a practical way of showing how you are preventing the introduction of pests, disease, weeds, and contaminants to your property, spreading around your property, or spreading from your property,\u201d Mr Smith said.<\/p>\n
\u201cA farm biosecurity plan should define your responsibilities, outline the disease protocols used on your property, ensure property information and biosecurity measures are quickly accessible, and enable you to easily communicate your biosecurity procedures to others.\u201d<\/p>\n
Templates and tools have been developed by a range of industry peak bodies, ranging from industry-specific tools to more general ideas. A few handy, free links include www.agriculture.vic.gov.au\/fmd, www.animalhealthaustralia.com.au, and www.farmbiosecurity.com.au.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are no right or wrong answers when developing a farm biosecurity plan \u2013 the only bad biosecurity plan is the one you don\u2019t have. A farm biosecurity plan is a tool to help you identify the risks on your farm and document how you will manage them,\u201d Mr Smith said.<\/p>\n
For more information on Victoria\u2019s biosecurity, visit www.agriculture.vic.gov.au\/biosecurity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
With foot-and-mouth disease and lumpy skin disease being major causes of concern the past few months, Agriculture Victoria is helping farmers learn how to keep their farms secure. Agriculture Victoria\u2019s Dairy Industry Development Officer, Richard Smith, says farm biosecurity planning \u201cis not a one-size-fits-all process\u201d, but resources are available to help you plan. \u201cAfter conducting […]<\/p>\n