Innovative project — Are we FMD ready?
What happens when a group of livestock producers, their industry representatives and other private business and government stakeholders get together to think about animal health surveillance and disease management?
The innovative project, called 'FMD Ready', is looking at ways to improve partnerships on the ground, to enhance regular monitoring of the health of animals, including reporting of unusual disease signs to assist with early detection and rapid and effective response to the introduction and spread of significant diseases.
As part of the FMD Ready project, a team from CSIRO, Charles Sturt University and the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) in partnership with farmers, livestock industries and state governments is establishing the following innovation pilot groups within the pork, dairy, sheep, goat and beef industries in Australia.
The project uses Agricultural Innovation Systems to assist the pilot groups to investigate challenges, develop and trial innovative solutions for continuous vigilance and improvement in animal health surveillance in Australia.
For more information regarding the project, please contact:
- Dr Yiheyis Maru: yiheyis.maru@csiro.au
- Dr Marta Hernandez–Jover: mhernandez-jover@csu.edu.au
- Dr Jennifer Manyweathers: jmanyweathers@csu.edu.au
Or check the monthly updates at CSIRO foot and mouth disease: Farmer-led surveillance.
This project is supported by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), through funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources as part of its Rural R&D for Profit program, and by producer levies from Australian FMD-susceptible livestock (cattle, sheep, goats and pigs) industries and Charles Sturt University (CSU), leveraging significant in-kind support from the research partners.
The research partners for this project are the Commonwealth Science and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), CSU through the Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) and the Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, supported by Animal Health Australia (AHA).
The project commenced in July 2016 and will conclude in June 2020.