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Australia and New Zealand have agreed to collaborate in the event of an outbreak of foot-and- mouth disease (FMA), which could devastate their livestock industries.
A coordinated response was agreed under a memorandum of understanding signed Friday in Melbourne by Australian Minister for Agriculture Barnaby Joyce and New Zealand Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy.
Greater collaboration would improve readiness and capacity to cope with an outbreak of FMD or any other significant exotic animal disease, Guy said in a statement from his office.
"We will work together in fields such as sharing intelligence on risk, collaborating on training opportunities, sharing scarce skills in the event of an outbreak and influencing international policy in the area of disease management," said Guy.
"It is well known that an outbreak of FMD would cause significant economic and social damage with the closure of many international markets for animal products and control measures having huge impacts on tourism, food chain businesses, farming families, rural business and communities."
The MoU would also help to ensure that an international reserve of veterinary specialists and other skilled personnel could be activated quickly.
"Exercise simulations and participation in activities also ensures there is a mutual understanding of how systems work in the other country, which means that staff can rapidly integrate into the other country's systems in the event they are needed," Guy said.
