Australian grains biosecurity plan gets boost

The Grains Research and Development Corp. (GRDC) and Plant Health Australia (PHA) have signed a A$3.5 million ($2.23 million) memorandum of understanding to support the Grains Industry Biosecurity Plan 2023-25. 

The GRDC said the additional investment with its main partner, PHA, will support the implementation of critical measures as part of the national biosecurity plan, which was announced in August, to help protect and safeguard Australia’s A$32 billion grains industry from some of the world’s most devastating exotic pests.

The MOU bolsters the investment Australian grain producers are making to biosecurity through the PHA/Biosecurity Activity Levy (A$2 million annually), the Exotic Plant Pest Response Levy (A$1 million annually) and a range of GRDC investments to address biotic threats (totaling A$56.8 million in 2023–24).

The Grains Industry Biosecurity Plan has been developed to give industry, governments and stakeholders the expert framework and focus necessary to help prevent, prepare for and respond to grains-specific biosecurity incursions, the GRDC said.

Developed in collaboration with industry leaders and biosecurity experts, the plan identifies more than 1,300 different exotic plant pests and disease threats that could impact the Australian grains industry. It also details a number of programs and proactive measures required to protect growers, industry and the economy.

“Importantly, this plan has the support of the entire industry,” said Nigel Hart, managing director, GRDC. “We are working together to ensure the systems are in place to allow us to be responsive and act in a timely way — two critical factors that can be the difference between effective control and industry devastation.”

The biosecurity plan will be reviewed and updated regularly with a focus on three main areas:

• Pest risk scanning to ensure the groups capture and learn from the latest international literature on key pest threats.
• Ongoing coordination of the development and management of preparedness information resources.
• Reviewing the plan’s progress to improve understanding of pest risk profiles and entry pathways, and to target surveillance efforts to areas of greatest risk. The plan also details development of an enhanced partnership approach among key stakeholders.

Sarah Corcoran, chief executive officer of the PHA, emphasized that while grain producers and the broader agricultural sector are the main beneficiaries of a strong and proactive biosecurity plan, benefits will extend to governments, industry, researchers and the wider Australian community.

“The grains industry is a vital contributor to both Australia’s national economy and many regional economies,” Corcoran said. “As biosecurity threats grow more complex in our changing world, it is crucial that we unite our efforts with a shared purpose and clear, measurable outcomes.”

Source: World Grain