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HORTGUARD®: Biosecurity for the horticulture industry in Western Australia

HortGuard® is a coordinated and cooperative strategic approach between industry and Government for the protection of Western Australia's horticulture industry to minimise risks to production and markets.

Under the banner of HortGuard® all sectors of Western Australia's horticulture industry are working together to maintain freedom from major pests, diseases and weeds and to reduce chemical residues in produce. Our industry biosecurity status and export future are closely linked. The involvement of all sectors of the horticulture industry is essential to maximise industry sustainability and to capitalise on production efficiency, international market competitiveness and profitability.

HortGuard® is an initiative which brings together the Department of Agriculture and Food's biosecurity, surveillance, incident response, research and development, communication and training programs, industry and grower initiatives, and the action of other government agencies. The State Government is committed to protecting Western Australia's agricultural resources to ensure our national and international credibility for producing safe, quality food is maintained.

Biosecurity plans describing threats and actions as well as related information are available under nine industry groups:

Biosecurity of the Horticulture Industry is everyone's business

HortGuard® provides the opportunity for growers, consultants, advisers, handlers, transporters, exporters and others whose work activities impact on the industry to work with the Department of Agriculture and Food and the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) to develop ways in which each sector can best contribute to improved biosecurity.

HortGuard® has been initiated as part of the State Government's commitment to improved industry biosecurity through strengthened risk assessment, quarantine and emergency response. HortGuard® is supported by the Agriculture Protection Board and related industry sectors. Three levels of biosecurity are specified:

National - threat identification and quarantine.
State - quarantine, surveillance, incursion response, eradication and research solutions.
Industry - importers, producers, agribusiness, produce handlers and exporters all play a key part in protecting horticultural businesses.

Strategies and actions

Outbreaks of potato spindle tuber viroid, white blister rust fungus in brassicas, olive lace bug and apple rust mite, illustrate the protection pressures facing the horticulture industry.

HortGuard® structure and processes enable an immediate response to manage outbreaks of serious exotic weeds, pests and diseases. In particular, grape phylloxera (grapes), spiraling whitefly (bananas), sudden oak death (nursery), colorado beetle (potato) and weeds such as broomrape which are exotic to WA. HortGuard® focuses on the following areas:

Threat identification and risk assessment: A primary task of HortGuard® is to identify and coordinate responses to priority established and exotic threats, and to assess the economic impact of each threat.
Barrier quarantine: Improved threat identification and communication under HortGuard® will assist AQIS and the Department of Agriculture and Food to ensure that entry into Western Australia of horticultural pests, weeds and diseases is minimised.
Surveillance network: The Department of Agriculture and Food's surveillance activities will be expanded throughout the agricultural community to assist with identifying new or unusual weeds, pests and diseases. Identification sample kits will enable growers, agribusiness representatives and departmental staff to send unfamiliar samples to the Department of Agriculture and Food. This will enable early investigation and allow effective and appropriate responses to be implemented.
Emergency response: Each Guard plan specifies an incident management plan to respond to key exotic threats for each of the nine horticultural industries. The Department of Agriculture and Food provides incident response training for staff and industry groups.
Containment, eradication and management: Recommendations are made for improved control and eradication activities for pests, diseases and weeds. Priority is given to those high risk threats to industry and government.
Research and Development: Key biosecurity research areas for Western Australia's horticulture industry are identified and integrated with national research and development.
Communication: A communication plan for the growth and protection of the horticultural industries has been developed.

You can help your industry by reporting unusual diseases, insects and weeds to your local agribusiness consultant or agronomist or to the Department of Agriculture and Food. Practising on-farm biosecurity practices will help protect your livelihood.

For more information related to this topic see:

Farmnote 71/2002 Farm Biosecurity (132kb PDF)

Farm biosecurity signs

Farmnote 41/2003 Practical farm biosecurity advice for keeping the plant industries safe from biological threats(124kb PDF)

Agriculture Biosecurity in Western Australia

Plant biosecurity in Western Australia

Further enquiries:

Colin Hanbury
Coordinator - Horticulture Industry Biosecurity
Tel: 08 9368 3251
Fax: 08 9368 3945
email: chanbury@agric.wa.gov.au

Page updated: 09 August 2007