AN annual report which provides a comprehensive overview of the state of plant biosecurity in Australia in the previous calendar year has been released by Plant Health Australia (PHA).
The National Plant Biosecurity Status Report for 2019 brought together contributions from more than 100 government, industry and research organisations.
PHA chairman Steve McCutcheon said last year was challenging for agricultural industries in Australia with extreme climatic events affecting production across the nation.
"Fortunately, our crops and native plants continue to be largely protected from the consequences of pests that affect plants overseas by a highly effective biosecurity system," Mr McCutcheon said.
The report captures the efforts being made by governments, industries, research agencies and the community to support Australia's biosecurity system.
For example, it details more than 680 plant and pollinator biosecurity research, development and extension projects and 112 plant pest surveillance programs undertaken in 2019.
The report lists nearly 400 high priority pests of Australia's plant industries, identified through biosecurity planning facilitated by PHA and for the first time, there's a list of high priority pests of the environment.
"This edition of the report is the 12th in a series of high-quality professional documents which play an important role in monitoring the health of our plant biosecurity system," said outgoing PHA executive director and chief executive officer Greg Fraser.
Another key feature of the report is the profiles of more than 35 plant industries, with each profile highlighting its economic value, major growing regions, key exotic pest threats and biosecurity initiatives.
The profiles also track the value of each industry over time, painting a picture of the growth of some industries and the challenges faced by others.
- The report is available at planthealthaustralia.com.au/npbsr
