Albany sheep producer Ed Rogister has been appointed to chair Western Australia’s Sheep and Goat Industry Funding Scheme managing committee.
Mr Rogister is one of several new chairs of industry management committees announced by Department of Agriculture and Food late last week.
Industry Funding Schemes were initiated in 2010 for the cattle, grain, seed and hay, and sheep and goat industries under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007.
Department IFS executive officer Rebecca Heath said the schemes enabled producers in Western Australia to raise funds for programs to address the biosecurity priorities of their industries.
“Industry members were invited to nominate for the committees, and new members were appointed by the Minister for Agriculture and Food based on the recommendations of an industry-based appointments committee,” Ms Heath said.
“Mr Rogister aims to continue to enable timely access to funds to help maintain the biosecurity of the sheep and goat industries,” she said.
“The scheme currently funds control of virulent footrot, including research into the usefulness of a new footrot vaccine in WA conditions,” she said.
“The new chair intends to continue to work with industry to identify other biosecurity threats to the productivity, profitability and sustainability of the sheep and goat industries.
Other appointments include:
Mr Meerwald looks forward to working with the management committee to ensure the scheme continues to deliver value to the WA cattle industry.
The cattle scheme currently funds surveillance programs for bovine Johne’s disease, enzootic bovine leucosis and bovine tuberculosis, which are essential to maintaining WA’s enviable animal health status and supporting our access to export markets.
Ron Creagh, a Nungarin grain and livestock producer, has been appointed chairperson of the Grains, Seeds and Hay Industry Funding Scheme management committee after three years as the deputy chair.
The scheme currently funds programs to address skeleton weed and eradicate three-horned bedstraw.
Mr Creagh said with biosecurity risks to the WA grain, seeds and hay industries increasing, the importance of the scheme to industry was becoming more apparent and the committee would continue to ensure the scheme was working for growers.
Source: DAFWA. More information about the cattle, grain, seed and hay, and sheep and goat Industry Funding Schemes and management committees is available on the Department of Agriculture and Food website agric.wa.gov.au.
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