The Grains Farm Biosecurity Program, funded by growers through Grain Producers Australia, was recognised earlier this year with an Australian Biosecurity Award from the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.
The program – comprising biosecurity officers in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia, and managed by Plant Health Australia (PHA) – was the first industry extension initiative to raise awareness of the need for biosecurity measures on-farm.
For a decade it has provided information on simple steps growers can take to protect their properties from diseases, pests and weeds.
Farm biosecurity manager at PHA Stuart Kearns said that it was gratifying for all partners and grains levy payers that the Grains Farm Biosecurity Program had been acknowledged with a national award.
“In Australia, responsibility for biosecurity is shared and this program, a partnership between the grains industry, state governments and PHA, is a great example of just how much can be achieved when everyone works together,” he said.
“In a structured approach, the grains biosecurity officers link with members of Grain Producers Australia to improve awareness and surveillance of exotic pests and weeds. You see the officers at field days and at meetings held in workshops and local halls, right across Australia’s grain-growing regions.
“They’ve distributed thousands of farm biosecurity signs and helped growers to set up their day-to-day activities in a way that protects their enterprise. This work, over the past 10 years, has helped to establish good biosecurity practices as a normal part of farming.”
While Australia has world-class border biosecurity, the on-farm measures that grain growers put in place provide another layer of protection at the border of the property.
The Australian Biosecurity Award recognises government organisations, teams and individuals who have: