Investing in biosecurity preparedness to protect against pests

March 18, 2024

The Vegetable industry biosecurity and business continuity strategy project is a collaboration between industry, government and research agencies to create a biosecurity framework for the vegetable industry that provides an adaptable flexible approach to prepare for and respond should a new pest arrive. Plant Health Australia (PHA) is a partner in this $10m, five-year levy-funded project.

In December 2023 project partners representing AUSVEG, Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis (CEBRA), Hort Innovation, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA – Victoria), WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), Onside, PHA, QLD Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (QDAF), and RM Consulting Group (RMCG) came together in Melbourne to discuss key priorities for the five year program and develop an annual plan of activities that will be undertaken in the first year of the program.

Led by AUSVEG, the $10m, five-year levy-funded project is a Hort Innovation investment on behalf of growers to build the vegetable industry’s resilience to exotic pest threats.

The next-level biosecurity strategy includes:

• A contingency fund for industry responsiveness to unanticipated threats, providing an adaptable, flexible approach to preparing for high-priority exotic pests,
• Demonstrations of robust, audited on-farm biosecurity practices by growers to foster reassurance and trust within grower communities and multi-level government and non-government groups,
• Developing protocols to facilitate produce movement and the swift reinstatement of market access,
• A comprehensive communications and extension program across growers, agronomists and consultants.

PHA’s General Manager, Partnerships and Innovation, Dr Lucy Tran-Nguyen, recently discussed the program in a podcast with AUSVEG’s Rosalie Daniel. Listen to the Vegalogue podcast.

For more information, read the AUSVEG article or the Hort Innovation media release.

The Vegetable Industry Biosecurity and Business Continuity Strategy (VG22004) has been funded by Hort Innovation using the Vegetable Industry research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not for profit research and development corporation for Australian Horticulture.