Farm bio-security highlighted at webinar

Rural producers will be able to find out in a webinar hosted by the Future Farmers Network (FFN), Charles Sturt University and RuralBiz Training on Thursday 6 August.

Charles Sturt Associate Professor Marta Hernandez-Jover and Dr Jennifer Manyweathers from the Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation will give an overview of biosecurity on-farm.

Dr Manyweathers said farm biosecurity protects against the entry and spread of pests and disease.

"Producers are being increasingly asked to document the biosecurity risks to their enterprise and steps to mitigate those risks, for example the development of a biosecurity management plan is part of the Livestock Producer Assurance program.

"Meeting those requirements is more than just putting a sign on the gate and this webinar will be a whirlwind tour of what the laws about biosecurity actually say and what biosecurity recommendations and templates mean.

"There'll be practical examples, identifying risks of animal disease to a farm business and how that can be covered in a biosecurity plan.

"The webinar will also examine recent changes to biosecurity legislation around farm trespass."

Biosecurity is a key area of research at the Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, an alliance between Charles Sturt and the NSW Department of Primary Industries, with a focus on supporting livestock producers to improve on-farm practices.

FFN is a national non-for-profit that focuses on young people in agriculture and partners with industry to host monthly webinars such as this to their network across the country.

"Biosecurity is an increasingly important area of focus for Australian agriculture and those who work in it, especially as the industry maintains and grows it clean green image," said FFN Executive Officer Jamie-Lee Oldfield.

"This webinar will help our network understand biosecurity requirements, allowing them to identify and mitigate risk, and maintain a health and safety workplace for themselves and their operations."