Significant livestock diseases and pests will be targeted in a series of biosecurity workshops for Tasmanian sheep and beef producers over the next two months.

Topics covered at the workshops will included drench resistant worms, footrot, Bovine Johne’s Disease (BJD) and pestivirus.

Local veterinarians will present technical detail on a range of pests and diseases including their recognition, spread, impact, and management at the sheep and cattle health and biosecurity workshops.

Tasmanian Livestock Biosecurity Network regional officer Dr Jess Coad, will lead a group discussion on effective biosecurity practices during the workshops.

“This is all about managing serious pests and diseases that can have a significant impact on farm productivity, and therefore profitability.

“Importantly, attendees will also learn how good farm biosecurity management practices can be used to stop these pests and diseases becoming a problem in the first place – after all, prevention is better than cure,” she said.

Biosecurity tools will be outlined

The wide range of biosecurity tools available from LBN to assist livestock producers in prevention, management and eradication of pests and diseases will also be outlined in-depth by Dr Coad.

“There will be important lessons for all attendees – for example, we’ll discuss simple on-farm quarantine practices when introducing new livestock and the importance of knowing what signs of pests and diseases to be keeping an eye out for,” Dr Coad says.

The workshops are being delivered by LBN in collaboration with the ‘Making More from Sheep’ and ‘More Beef from Pastures’ industry programs.

They will run over three hours from 1pm at the following locations:

Wednesday, March 18 – Brighton

Wednesday, March 25 – King Island

Wednesday, April 1 – Waterhouse

Tuesday, April 21 – Smithton

Wednesday, April 22 – Campbell Town

Thursday, April 28 – Sassafras

For more information on these workshops and LBN please contact LBN Regional Officer Dr Jess Coad on 0488 400 209 or email [email protected]