February 4, 2020
Cattle producers rubbed shoulders with hobby farmers in Kingaroy on Saturday at a workshop targeting animal welfare issues during drought.
The forum, held at the Kingaroy Town Common Hall, was organised by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and attracted about 35 people.
Guest speakers included Ted Parish, from DAF, and beef industry specialist Geoff Niethe, from Meat and Livestock Australia.
Topics covered included the duty of care for animals, practical advice on supplementary feeding, and when euthanasia may be the only option.
“It is not legal or humane to allow animals to starve to death,” Geoff told the audience.
“It is a hard decision but when it’s made, it’s best for the animal and the owner.”
The recent rain has lifted many spirits but it has also brought the risk of toxic weeds flourishing.
Geoff warned producers to watch out for seedlings from the poisonous Noogoora Burr, which can kill stock.
“After rain, it will come up everywhere,” he said.
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A large rural conference was also held in Kingaroy last week for pig producers and others attached to the pork industry.
Producers met at the DAF Research Facility on Friday to discuss African Swine Fever and the multi-million dollar risks the disease poses to the industry and the Australian economy.
African Swine Fever, which can kill up to 100 per cent of pigs it infects, has swept through Asia and has been detected in East Timor and parts of Indonesia.
Guest speakers at the Kingaroy conference included Mark Cozens, from Biosecurity Queensland; Pork Queensland president John Coward, and representatives from SunPork Farms and Australian Pork Ltd (APL).
The national EADRA (Emergency Animal Disease Response Agreement) and AUSVET Plan – which would be invoked in the case of an outbreak – were explained.
Other topics discussed included the clinical signs of the disease, the importance of early detection; emergency powers should an outbreak be detected; livestock transport protocols; and on-farm biosecurity.
The importance of controlling feral pigs was also emphasised.
Queensland LNP Senator Susan McDonald was a guest at the conference.
