A NEW era in livestock biosecurity management is approaching, with producers required to complete a farm biosecurity plan in compliance with new Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) regulations coming into effect on October 1, including the management of Bovine Johne’s disease.
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The LPA manages Australia’s National Vendor Declaration scheme.
The changes will ensure Australia maintains its enviable status as a world leader in red meat safety, integrity and traceability.
The program provides an assurance to domestic and global customers of the integrity of Australian red meat, and enhances its reputation for safety and quality.
The strengthening of LPA was developed by the red meat industry and will launch on 1 October 2017.
It involves the introduction of biosecurity and animal welfare requirements, a regular online assessment and online learning modules to support producer understanding of their on-farm requirements.
The changes have been launched to coincide with the further roll out of electronic National Vendor Declarations (eNVD), giving producers the option to replace their NVD books with a free automated online system.
“The changes will further strengthen LPA and subsequently the reputation of Australian red meat internationally,” Integrity Systems Company CEO Dr Jane Weatherley said.
“Australian red meat producers are renowned for delivering quality red meat into more than 100 international markets and our industry is well-known for its food safety and traceability.
“This reputation is underpinned by our world leading integrity systems, including the LPA program.
“By having a renewed process of accreditation, producers will better understand their on-farm responsibilities and the crucial role they play in driving the growth and prosperity of our industry.
“Australian red meat producers are committed to achieving high animal welfare standards and understand the intrinsic link between high welfare and high productivity, the importance of Australia’s enviable biosecurity status and the value of the LPA program.
Producers can access background information at the Integrity Hub, www.mla.com.au/integrity.
It comes as NSW Farmers’ Association has concerns about the impact of bovine Johne’s disease (JD) deregulation on mixed cattle and sheep producers. President Derek Schoen said that mixed farmers needed to declare that there were no clinical cases of JD in sheep, goats or alpacas on their property for the past five years in order to achieve a high Johne’s Beef Assurance Score for their cattle.
