Agriculture Victoria has received $3.5 million in funding over five years from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to extend biosecurity training to scientists, technicians, and farmers in Timor-Leste.
The project, which initially focused on identifying and controlling African Swine Fever, will now screen all livestock species for classical swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease, and lumpy skin disease.
Agriculture Victoria Research Leader Grant Rawlin stated that the biosecurity and emergency animal disease work sponsored by Agriculture Victoria has helped Timor-Leste detect and control disease outbreaks that might have cost the agriculture industry up to $90 million.
“Agriculture Victoria is proud to have supported Timor-Leste’s ability to successfully diagnose and control several animal disease outbreaks within 48 hours. The timely diagnosis and control of animal disease outbreaks means less livestock are impacted, the disease doesn’t spread as far, and farmers can quickly resume their operations”, Dr Rawlin said.
Dr Rawlin was in Timor-Leste during the 2019 African Swine Fever outbreak and recently spent a month training local veterinarians on how to use a variety of diagnostic tools, including a real-time method for detecting different microbial agents in animal samples and a highly specific, low-cost, fast, and portable pathogenic virus test.
“The collaboration has bolstered the local agriculture industry’s response efforts and deepened our relationship with Timor-Leste. It also gave our experts invaluable insight into on-the-ground emergency animal disease management and control,” he added.
Caitlin Wilson, Chargé d’Affaires at the Australian Embassy in Dili, stated that the effort underlined Australia’s deep and long-standing commitment to assisting Timor-Leste’s food security and economic interests.
“Maintaining a healthy, productive and profitable livestock industry not only contributes to jobs and economic development for Timor-Leste, but also helps meet domestic demand for nutritious protein,” Wilson said.
“Australia is proud to be working with our Timor-Leste partners to strengthen their biosecurity systems as part of regional efforts to combat exotic animal pests and diseases such as African Swine Fever, foot and mouth disease and lumpy skin disease,” Wilson added.
Timorese veterinarians and researchers will also be sponsored to visit Agriculture Victoria research facilities in Australia to conduct research with our team and increase their knowledge. Over the next few months, veterinarians and scientists will be visiting AgriBio.
The Australian Government‘s $3.5 million commitment was announced in March during the Timor-Leste Veterinary Medicine Association conference in Dili.
Dignitaries and delegates from seven countries came to celebrate the program’s accomplishments thus far and to look forward to achieving additional advances in safeguarding agriculture from biosecurity threats.
