Year of Plant Health - 2020

2019 has come to a close with the recent announcement that 2020 will be the International Year of Plant Health.

Protecting the health of our agriculture and environment is the core of our biosecurity efforts in Australia, for both plant and animal  systems.

Many in the Darwin region will be aware of recent plant biosecurity issues covering bananas and citrus over the past few years, and bananas continue to be at the frontline worldwide over Panama disease development and spread especially in South America and Africa and with some issues even in Queensland in Australia over the past few years too.

While there are some very serious biosecurity issues facing Australia and indeed much of the world, in our region the incurable and highly deadly animal disease African Swine Fever is probably front and centre as we approach the end of 2019.

While Australia does remain free of this monumentally serious problem [as at mid-December 2019], other neighbours are no longer free - with Sumatra in Indonesia as well as Timor Leste designated as having the disease.

Recent detections of pork contaminated items at Australian border locations heightens risk for Australia, with an aggressive program of visa cancellations for offenders now the usual penalty for  these people.

This does not lower any need for plant biosecurity awareness, with wooden items a common issue with holiday makers.  There have been some high profile plant quarantine matters dealt with by Australian courts in 2019.

It is not just about the court cases and offenders - it is what can be done by stupidity or sometimes wanton offending here in Australia, and the long term costs of possible clean up, which sometimes may not be feasible.

Think biosecurity - with heightened awareness for plants in 2020.