Protecting the supply of wool – Australia’s Emergency Animal Disease Response System

At the recent 94th annual Congress of the International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO), I had the opportunity to deliver a presentation on how Australia’s biosecurity systems help to protect the supply of wool, and how enhancements such as the Australian Wool Traceability Hub continually strengthen this system. With increasing and evolving global trace patterns, so is the risk of animal disease spread.

Key diseases that directly impact sheep (and specifically wool trade) include Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) and Sheep and Goat Pox (SGP). Many of these diseases have had significant impacts in counterpart wool producing countries. Work undertaken by Deloitte Access Economics in 2021 found that an FMD outbreak in Australia would cost the Australian wool industry $2.1 billion in the first 12 months following detection.

Discussions throughout the IWTO Congress reminded me of Australia’s global leadership in this area, and I thought it was worthy of a newsletter appearance to showcase this great industry asset.

WoolProducers Australia is the wool industry signatory to the Australian Emergency Animal Disease Response Agreement (EADRA). EADRA is a framework that outlines how various stakeholders, including government and industry bodies, collaborate to manage and respond to animal disease outbreaks in Australia.

This collaboration extends far beyond the active response phase, in-fact much of the work undertaken as an EADRA signatory involves pre-outbreak “peacetime” work to develop and refine resources that are used to guide and support a response to an Emergency Animal Disease (EAD) outbreak. EADRA clearly sets out stakeholder responsibilities in relation to cost sharing and resourcing a response. As an industry signatory, WoolProducers have a direct say in the development and deployment of EAD Response Plans, and contribute directly to on ground response activities.

With EADRA we are not waiting for a crisis until we start developing a plan, we are ready to act as soon as the need arises, saving us valuable time and therefore reducing the impacts that EADs have on our animals, people, businesses, environment and communities.

As an industry signatory, WoolProducers Australia is responsible for ensuring that the wool industry is prepared and ready to respond to potential EAD threats. We actively participate in training and the development and implementation of strategies that enhance biosecurity and disease response protocols specific to wool production. Some examples are outlined below:

Training and awareness

We are constantly undertaking training to ensure that our industry has the appropriate people available to support an EAD response. These roles range from veterinarians that work with Commonwealth and State governments to develop a response plan, through to woolgrowers that will work in local control centres during a response.

We undertake EAD simulation exercises that help test our systems and identify areas for improvement. The most recent being Exercise Argonaut, which was undertaken in 2020, with another being planned for the near future.

We also undertake regular briefings to raise awareness of the Australian EAD response system and the role that different wool industry stakeholders play.

Development of reference material and technical resources

AUSVETPLAN, or the Australian Veterinary Emergency Plan is a central resource to EADRA. AUSVETPLAN sets out the agreed national approach to for responding to EAD incidents in Australia. In recent years, WoolProducers has been directly involved in the review of AUSVETPLAN resources relating to: Wool Industry Enterprise Manual, Foot and Mouth Disease manual; Decontamination; and Valuation and Compensation. We are currently involved in the review of manuals for: Peste des petits ruminants and Sheep and Goat Pox.

Development of industry systems to support EAD response

We have undertaken work to explore opportunities to enhance wool traceability to support an EAD response and protect market access. This work is now materialising through the Australian Wool Traceability Hub, which leverages eBale and Property Identification Codes to support efficient traceability of the Australian wool clip from the farm to early-stage processing or export.

We have also collaborated with our international colleagues to learn from their experience and lead the development of an international framework for the storage and treatment of wool to inactivate disease causing agents (such as FMD).

Fostering collaboration across industry

WoolProducers have recently instigated the development of a Wool Industry Post-farmgate Emergency Animal Disease (EAD) Preparedness and Response RD&E Strategy 2025-2030. This strategy will align efforts across both industry and governments to improve EAD preparedness across the post-farmgate parts of our industry across these 4 strategic pillars:

1. Policy and operational plans

2. Capacity building and culture

3. Coordination and relationships

4. Enhanced traceability and data exchange

In summary, as a country, we are extremely lucky to have EADRA, which serves as a collaborative framework for animal disease management in Australia. WoolProducers Australia is proud to be at the forefront of enhancing the wool industry's readiness through direct investment and partnerships in strategic initiatives and educational efforts.

ENDS