A partnership in through-chain biosecurity protecting South Australia’s pork industry
Partnership critical to protecting industry
South Australia's pork industry is a vital component of the state's agribusiness sector, contributing $549 million annually. The industry's resilience is bolstered by a robust partnership between pig producers, pork processors, boar studs and the government, focusing on through chain biosecurity to mitigate the likelihood of spread of diseases such as African swine fever (ASF) and minimise disruption to live pig and semen dispatch and receipt in a disease outbreak.
Significant investments in infrastructure and programs
In response to the escalating threat of ASF, which devastated the Chinese pig industry in 2018 and has since spread to Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea, the South Australian pork industry has been proactive in its preparations. SABOR, Australia's largest boar stud, led joint industry and government investments in biosecurity upgrades to protect high-value genetics and ensure the supply of semen for artificial insemination, with capacity to cover ninety percent of routine SA industry breeding requirements.
Enhanced biosecurity measures at processing facilities
Between 2022 and 2024, Big River Pork (Murray Bridge) and Seven Point Pork (Port Wakefield), in collaboration with the SA government and state peak industry organisation Pork SA, invested in the construction of state-of-the-art truck wash and disinfection facilities to prevent the spread of disease by departing trucks. These facilities process 95% of pigs in SA, including pigs from Victoria and New South Wales. Additionally, the pork industry has collaborated with government to establish operational biosecurity measures to support processor business continuity during an ASF response, protecting regional jobs. These measures have been endorsed by Animal Health Committee and in 2024 were published as a nationally agreed AUSVETPLAN document.
Innovative collaboration for risk minimisation
To further protect farms, the pork industry, in collaboration with government, has developed Voluntary Enhanced Biosecurity Standards (VEBS) and verification best practices. These have been endorsed by Animal Health Committee and integrated as a certification module within the Australian Pig Industry Quality Assurance Program (APIQ), administered by Australian Pork Ltd (APL). The adoption of VEBS allows producers to mitigate the likelihood of disease introduction and spread, and in doing so to support their business continuity during an outbreak. A national APL funded project is now accelerating the uptake of VEBS by developing VEBS Facilitators to assist with implementation and compliance across farms, This initiative is commencing with a pilot project in SA.
Benchmarking and addressing vulnerabilities
In 2022, PIRSA and Pork SA also collaborated to benchmark the biosecurity practices of 23% of national pork production to identify vulnerabilities. The survey, led by Chelsea Dossett, Biosecurity Officer Pig Industry, highlighted the need for rapid pig movement due to limited reserve capacity on farms. It also highlighted the fact that only 10% of farms had the necessary information to apply for a movement permit readily available. This, in turn, led to a joint project in 2023 that captured routine movement information to support permitting processes. This information now covers 76% of production and provides a platform to streamline permit request processes for the PIRSA Permit Team during a disease outbreak.
Exemplifying a world-leading model for targeted risk management
The partnership in through chain biosecurity between South Australia's government and pork industry stakeholders exemplifies shared responsibility and operational biosecurity practice-change at an industry level. Through joint investment in infrastructure, programs, knowledge capture and preparedness, the partnership has created a robust, supply chain-wide suite of defences against biosecurity threats. This innovative and highly collaborative model not only protects a vital industry but also facilitates the continuous supply of high-quality pork products to the community, sustaining regional communities and the way we live.
Key partners
- Pork SA
- Government of South Australia, Department of Primary Industries and Regions
- SABOR
- Big River Pork
- Seven Point Australian Pork
- Australian Pork Limited