WITH foot and mouth disease on Australia’s doorstep in Indonesia, Australian woolgrowers are strongly encouraged to make sure they include their property identification code (PIC) on their wool classer’s specification and national wool declaration.
PICs help authorities more quickly and accurately manage the spread of an emergency animal disease, should it occur in Australia.
They are eight-character alphanumeric codes allocated by state authorities to livestock producing properties. Anyone owning a sheep requires a PIC.
Their purpose is partly for tracing and controlling disease and residue problems that may be detected after leaving the farm, but also for locating properties and owners where wool has come from when an outbreak of a disease that may threaten their enterprise is detected in an area.
The percentage of tested lots of Australian wool that have PICs declared by their sellers has increased enormously in the past few months, with AWTA, the Australian Wool Testing Authority, reporting that 52.5 per cent of lots last October had a PIC, compared with only 2.1 per cent in the same month last year.
This increase might be a result of woolgrowers becoming more aware of the importance of biosecurity due the presence of foot and mouth disease in Indonesia.
The percentage of sale lots with a PIC varies enormously by state. Queensland led the way in PICs at 90.9 per cent of lots tested during October, while only 21.7 per cent of WA lots had a PIC.
PICs can also play a crucial role during responses to other emergencies such as floods and fires because livestock owners can often be warned of impending danger, and can also be assisted more effectively in the aftermath of such events.
Use of traceability systems in the wool industry also provides confidence to consumers in domestic and overseas markets that the products they buy are accurately described and fit for purpose.
Over the years, many landholders might not have not updated their contact details for their PIC, such as for changes in business partner, parents no longer farming and farm succession. Some addresses still show as RSD which means mail may not be delivered and the PIC could be disbanded without the landholder knowing. Many people have not added mobile phone details or email addresses to their PIC information.
You can update your contact details or apply for a PIC by contacting your state authority or agriculture department.
FAST FACTS
FARMERS should ensure their properties have a property identification code. If the code details need updating, contact the state’s agriculture department.
Codes should be provided to wool classers and property managers and included on the wool classer’s specification and National Wool Declaration.
The inclusion of a PIC is vital during a time of crisis as it improves the traceability of wool.
The use of codes has increased enormously during the past few months, with 52.5 per cent of lots tested by AWTA last October having one, compared with only 2.1 per cent in the same month last year.
