Next Primary Industries Portfolio - Good men need not apply
Published: 28 Aug 2007
News ID: 10358
News ID: 10358
Horse flu outbreak could impact on beef industry.
The horse flu epidemic crippling racing and breeding operations across the nation has similar factors to the recent cattle Foot and Mouth disease outbreak in the United Kingdom .
Australian Beef Association Vice-Chairwoman Linda Hewitt slammed the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service for the outbreak that potentially could severely disrupt the billion dollar racing industry and its inadequacies could impact heavily on beef production and other rural industries.
It shows AQIS simply cannot cope with disease prevention, or have any chance of keeping livestock or plant diseases out of Australia , said Mrs Hewitt, from the ABA 's Annual General Meeting in Toowoomba.
'The National Livestock Identification System does not apply to horses, but even if it did, would have had no effect in tracing the origin of the virus.
'I would bet that Minister McGauran is not game to enforce an electronic animal ID system on the nation's horse industry; - and he should not.
'There have been so many holes found in the costly cattle NLIS that the database is irretrievably flawed, and is a useless form of disease control
'Claims that infected horses were released from quarantine before test results were analysed, if true, falls right on the head of Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran, and our AQIS officers.
'The animal ID system forced onto the beef industry would prove totally ineffectual in a similar type outbreak amongst any animals, because there is no safeguard from human error.
Mrs Hewitt questioned, 'In light of this outbreak, what can the Minister tell us about a reported outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease in Malaysia , and how is he going to keep it out of Australia ?'
For more information please contact Linda Hewitt 0419 789211 or
Brad Bellinger on mob 0428 765 421
The horse flu epidemic crippling racing and breeding operations across the nation has similar factors to the recent cattle Foot and Mouth disease outbreak in the United Kingdom .
Australian Beef Association Vice-Chairwoman Linda Hewitt slammed the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service for the outbreak that potentially could severely disrupt the billion dollar racing industry and its inadequacies could impact heavily on beef production and other rural industries.
It shows AQIS simply cannot cope with disease prevention, or have any chance of keeping livestock or plant diseases out of Australia , said Mrs Hewitt, from the ABA 's Annual General Meeting in Toowoomba.
'The National Livestock Identification System does not apply to horses, but even if it did, would have had no effect in tracing the origin of the virus.
'I would bet that Minister McGauran is not game to enforce an electronic animal ID system on the nation's horse industry; - and he should not.
'There have been so many holes found in the costly cattle NLIS that the database is irretrievably flawed, and is a useless form of disease control
'Claims that infected horses were released from quarantine before test results were analysed, if true, falls right on the head of Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran, and our AQIS officers.
'The animal ID system forced onto the beef industry would prove totally ineffectual in a similar type outbreak amongst any animals, because there is no safeguard from human error.
Mrs Hewitt questioned, 'In light of this outbreak, what can the Minister tell us about a reported outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease in Malaysia , and how is he going to keep it out of Australia ?'
For more information please contact Linda Hewitt 0419 789211 or
Brad Bellinger on mob 0428 765 421
