Statement on outbreak of FMD in Germany

The following comments are attributable to ADF President, Ben Bennett:

The outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Germany poses no immediate threat to Australian dairy due to the strict quarantine and biosecurity regulations protecting Australia from disease incursion.

However, this outbreak is a timely reminder to farmers, the community, industry, government and its agencies of the importance of biosecurity measures and the need to maintain our nation's vigilance and preparedness against potential disease incursions.

Such outbreaks have a devastating impact on the farmers involved and may also have significant implications for global agricultural trade, with Germany being an exporter of beef and dairy products, however it is too early to assess the significance of this event.

As Australian farmers we need to ensure our on-farm biosecurity plans are up-to-date. This includes maintaining a visitor's log, requiring visitors to decontaminate footwear, and excluding any visitors that have visited or originated from a country where FMD is present from their farm for at least seven days after their return to Australia.

ADF will continue to work with industry to monitor the German outbreak and will support efforts to keep dairy farmers updated if and when the situation changes.