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The fast-growing goatmeat industry received a massive boost during the
year with the launch of Caprimec, a new oral drench.
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TAKING CARE OF OUR ANIMALS
Industry’s commitment and proactive approach to improved animal welfare standards is ongoing. A federal initiative during the year focused on transport with significant MLA contribution to a review of the national welfare codes of practice for land transport of livestock and the development of updated national standards, which are intended to underpin consistent legislation in each state and territory.
While the development process was managed by Animal Health Australia and driven by government and peak councils, our role informed negotiations with evidence- based science that quantified the impact of transport duration on animal welfare and pre-transport curfews. This supported the maintenance of transport time at a maximum of 48 hours for adult cattle and sheep.
We also began the process to inform the negotiations for the development of legislated national standards for on-farm management of sheep and cattle with assistance to the Sheepmeat Council of Australia, the Cattle Council of Australia and the Australian Lot Feeders Association.
Healthy sheep and goats
With reports that internal parasites are eating away the Australian industry at a rate of $369 million a year, we developed two new practical tools to assist sheep producers better manage their flock health.
- Improving internal parasite control in sheep offers good advice on how nutrition can help promote immunity and resistance to parasites
- Internal parasites in prime lambs interactive CD – a collaborative initiative between MLA and the South Australian Research & Development Institute provides a comprehensive reference on internal parasites in southern Australia
The fast-growing goatmeat industry received a massive boost during the year when for the first time, a broad spectrum oral drench was launched onto the market. Caprimec was developed by Virbac in consultation with MLA and industry to assist producers manage the health of animals and meet conditions of sale. In conjunction with the release of the drench, we reviewed the chemical and non-chemical options for parasite control and delivered Options for the control of parasites in the Australian goat industry and a new module for the Going into goats compendium providing producers with valuable information and useful options for managing herd health.
Fertile foundations for northern cattle
We completed the first phase of a research program to help recoup some of the estimated $15 million that Australia’s northern cattle industry loses every year through reproductive losses. The four-year $2 million northern beef fertility project has worked with 12 commercial properties to look at the factors that impact on cattle reproductive performance.
