Australian Wool Traceability Hub ensures quick response in case of a disease outbreak

WA woolgrowers have been encouraged to lift their traceability tactics as the wool industry aims to be proactive in case of an emergency animal disease outbreak. To soften the blow and provide a quick response from an all-out greasy wool trade collapse should an outbreak occur, an industry meeting was held on November 27 at the Australian Wool Testing Authority in Bibra Lake to discuss an action plan. Australian WoolProducers general manager Adam Dawes said the Government and Australia’s international greasy wool trading partners would be seeking confidence in a one-in-all traceability system. He said the Australian Wool Industry Traceability Hub, launched in July, along with e-Bale technology would combine to provide key information to mitigate risk within the transfer of wool from growers to first stage processors. The Hub was the result of a WoolProducers report that recommended better “end-to-end” traceability of wool bales from growers to processors within the industry. It was developed through a wide industry consultation with input from Australian wool industry organisations. These included Wool Industries Australia, Australian Wool Testing Authority, Australian Wool Innovation, Australian Wool Exchange, National Council of Wool Selling Brokers of Australia, Australian Council of Wool Exporters and Processors, and WoolProducers Australia. “The Hub was developed on our (industry) terms, and if we can get everyone to subscribe, we have something to sell to the Government,” Mr Dawes said. “An EAD outbreak would instantly stop our Government from being able to issue health certificates or negotiate new ones, we could lose 97 per cent of our wool exports overnight. “Although wool is relatively low risk — it doesn’t expire or excrete anything, but government needs to have confidence that we have an industry system that is backed by strong management. Mr Dawes said a robust wool traceability program that supported the Government’s exports certification systems would allow a faster recovery if trade was interrupted. “If we don’t have a national traceability system that we can sell to them (Government) we may have to accept whatever they want us to do to get back into the market,” he said. “That could be disastrous if government requirements were different to our trading partners’ (China, India, and the EU) expectations. “We all need to sign up to this (Hub) to market to government so they can sell it to the trading partners as a one-in-all system.” AWTA general manager Brendon van Rensburg said WA was lagging in the goal of a 90 per cent national Property Identification Code submission by May. “Our aim is to have a possible adoption of the program on July 1,” he said. “It is likely that the PIC declaration may become a requirement for AWTA certificates.” Hub administrator John Billings said a declared PIC would be a link to the wool sale lot which could then be followed through all the way to offshore exports. “In case of an EAD outbreak, the chief vets would contact the Hub with a list of PICs related to effective farms,” he said. “The Hub is basically a data repository and data provider for the chief vet.” To find out more, visit awth.com.au/contact-us.