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Grains industry focuses on biosecurity

Tuesday 28 April 2009

South Australia’s grains industry will benefit from the appointment of a Grains Biosecurity Officer who will work with industry to raise awareness of pests and diseases that could affect their ability to access markets.

Judy Bellati is the new South Australian Grains Biosecurity Officer with PIRSA. Judy is being employed as part of the National Grains Industry On-farm Biosecurity Program being run by Plant Health Australia.

Judy will work with farmers, agronomists and other industry service providers to raise awareness and educate them about grains biosecurity – what are the risks and what management practices they can implement to reduce the risk of introducing exotic pest and disease threats into their crops.

Judy is looking forward to the new role having previously worked with SARDI Entomology in grains research and extension.

“As an industry we are being expected to provide more and more evidence that our products are free from pests and diseases of biosecurity significance for market access,” said Judy. 

“This involves surveillance to prove area freedom as well as developing mechanisms to effectively capture surveillance data that can be fed into a national database.

“I will be working across SA regions with farmer groups, consultant networks and agribusiness companies to deliver biosecurity training to growers as well as incorporating biosecurity elements into existing grain extension programs in SA.”

Dave Lewis, PIRSA’s General Manager, Grains Industry Development said biosecurity is an increasingly important issue for the nation and state’s grains industry.

“Importantly if an exotic pest or disease is found, Judy will play a key role in the State’s response,” he said.

National Grains Industry On-farm Biosecurity Program is co-funded by PIRSA, SARDI, the Cooperative Research Centre for National Plant Biosecurity and by growers, through the Grains Council of Australia.