A new biosecurity plan for the Australian grains industry is under development to lay the foundation for a stronger biosecurity system and a more resilient industry.

The plan is being prepared by Plant Health Australia (PHA) in partnership with Grain Producers Australia (GPA) and with GRDC investment. Valuable input is also coming from biosecurity and crop protection experts from state and Commonwealth departments of agriculture.

As Australia faces significant and evolving threats from exotic pests and diseases, PHA remains focused on strengthening partnerships.This entails government and industry working collaboratively to identify, prioritise and manage key risks and drive the development of a structured and practical biosecurity plan.

This plan will provide a framework to identify our priorities, increase preparedness and better defend against biosecurity incidents.

It also becomes a point of reference for industry to renew and coordinate activities that improve biosecurity.

Finally, the plan provides a platform for industry and government to outline their commitments with regard to coordinating:

• risk assessment;
• surveillance;
• diagnostics;
• emergency response preparedness;
• determine training needs; and
• awareness raising.

The stakes

Controlling plant pests, which includes invertebrate pests and diseases, costs the Australian grain industry more than $1.7 billion per year. This includes costs related to managing crop diseases ($1.4 billion a year) and the control of invertebrate pests, including associated crop losses to invertebrate pests ($360 million a year). When this is combined with the $3.3 billion cost of controlling weeds and managing herbicide resistance, the grains industry spends more than $5 billion per year on crop protection.

New incursions of pests and diseases can add to these costs by impacting yield, quality and market access.

GPA chair and Western Australia grain producer Barry Large says strengthening biosecurity protections for growers is a high priority for GPA. “The Australian grains industry needs tougher, preventive biosecurity measures,” he says. “The last thing we want is a new exotic pest that puts everyone at risk of suffering serious economic and social devastation.”

The threats

Over 1400 exotic plant diseases and invertebrate pests have been identified as exotic threats to the grain industry’s 25 leviable crops. PHA is working with industry to prioritise these threats and produce a list of the highest-priority exotic pests of most concern for production and market access.

At the top of the list will be those pests that have a high entry, establishment and spread potential as well as the highest economic impact.

The plan will summarise the mitigation and surveillance activities being undertaken.

It will also compile a list of additional resources already developed for pests relevant to the grains industry, including:

• contingency plans;
• fact sheets; and
• diagnostic protocols.

This will enable industry to identify any gaps and help prioritise specific actions as part of its implementation.

Once completed, the revised plan will provide government regulators and industry leaders with a systematic way to identify and prioritise exotic grain pests and diseases of most concern. The aim is to help protect Australia’s multibillion-dollar grains industry today, tomorrow and into the future.

More information: Stuart Kearns, skearns@phau.com.au

Find out more about implementing biosecurity measures on your property by visiting grainsbiosecurity.com.au