With Foot and Mouth Disease now rampant in Indonesia and in particular Bali, a tourist hotspot for Australians, the government has acted to support this neighbouring country and hopefully stop an outbreak in Australia.
The Australian Government will provide $1.5 million to support Indonesia’s response to the recent outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).
The funding will provide at least 1 million FMD doses for Indonesia’s vaccination program, following a formal request for assistance from the Indonesian Government.
Indonesia’s vaccination program is focused on support for the small-holder farming sector, which makes up around 90% of Indonesia’s cattle industry.
This support is in addition to Australia’s existing commitment of 435,000 Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) vaccine doses that are currently being distributed to affected Indonesia provinces.
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Murray Watt discussed Australia’s support with Indonesian Minister for Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo in Jakarta last week.
The Australian Government has also committed an initial $500,000 to Meat and Livestock Australia, responsible for coordinating support from Australian industry for the Indonesian feedlot sector’s emergency response to these diseases.