Current International Projects
Shrimp aquaculture and agribusiness in Indonesia
Health & husbandry of cattle, Cambodia
Health & husbandry of cattle & buffalo, Laos
Livestock movement in Eastern Indonesia & Eastern Australia
Cost-effective biosecurity for poultry operations in Indonesia
Food Chain: from range through processing
Improving productivity and profitability of smallholder shrimp aquaculture and related agribusiness in Indonesia FIS/2005/169
Farm Animal & Veterinary Public Health Staff
Professor Richard Whittington
Dr Jenny-Ann Toribio
Dr Richard Callinan
International Collaborators
Dr Endhay Kusnendar, Dr Achmad Poernomo, Dr Budi Prayitno,
Dr Syahrun and Arief Taslihan,
Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Indonesia
Summary
Shrimp are the most important export product in Indonesia’s fisheries sector, and all levels of government actively promote shrimp farming (traditional, semi-intensive and intensive) to improve prosperity in coastal communities and to generate foreign exchange. Farming at each intensification level can be profitable and sustainable, provided biosecurity, productivity, environmental and social requirements are properly managed. To remain competitive and to protect export market access, governments and industry supply chains are increasingly recognising the importance of international food safety standards, and of marketing and value-adding as effective competitive strategies.
The project focuses on ‘traditional’ smallholder farmer groups and associated supply chain enterprises. In its first two years, staff will develop and validate model programs combining enterprise-level interventions (‘better management practices’, BMPs) and participatory extension methodologies delivered and supported by appropriately skilled extension and health management services. Separately, the project’s steering group will identify, coordinate and, where appropriate, facilitate enhancement of support services, skills and processes necessary to enable widespread, independent program adoption. In the project’s final year, staff will monitor dissemination, using existing Indonesian resources, of appropriately contextualised programs.
Source of Funding
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
Project Timeframe
January 2007 - December 2010
Best practice health and husbandry of cattle, Cambodia AH/2005/086
Farm Animal & Veterinary Public Health Staff
Professor Peter Windsor
Ms Luzia Rast
PhD Student
Mr John Stratton
National Collaborators
Dr Tristan Jubb, Tristan Jubb Veterinary Consulting
Dr Joanne Millar, Charles Sturt University
International Collaborators
Dr Suon Sothoen, Department of Animal Health & Production, Cambodia
Dr Werner Stur, CIAT, Lao PDR
Mr Mak Soeun, Agricultural Extension Department, Cambodia
Mr Chea Neng, Royal Academy of Cambodia
Summary
The Kingdom of Cambodia is a country of 15 million people and 2.4 million hectacres, 34% of GDP is provided by agriculture with 6% from livestock, including 3.2 million cattle and 0.7 million buffalo. Almost 80% of the land is lowland and still ploughed by draft animals. These are increasingly paired castrated oxen rather than buffalo, with cattle increasing at 4.52% and buffalo decreasing at -0.7% annually. The market for meat is growing rapidly in south-east Asia due to demand from neighbouring countries and estimated at 3% pa between 1993 and 2020. With the majority if large ruminant livestock in Cambodia held by small village producers and up to 25% of cattle currently exported, an opportunity to increase cattle production and address rural poverty exists. However production income is limited by common diseases such as Haemorrhagic Septicaemia, Foot and Mouth Disease, Blackleg and parasites plus poor nutrition, breeding and general husbandry and livestock management practices.
This project aims to improve profitability of large ruminant production by smallholders through adoption of well known disease control and husbandry practises. It builds on ACIAR projects AS1/2002/099 (Control of fasciolosis in cattle in Cambodia) and is led locally by the in-country coordinator of that project. A systems approach will be used to identify which knowledge-based interventions are valued by village farmers and developing a concept of ‘best practice animal health and husbandry’ for cattle and buffalo production Cambodia.
It has these objectives:
- to confirm current knowledge of disease limitations to large ruminant production;
- to implement, test and demonstrate the value of interventions preventing key diseases, preventing introduction of diseases and managing reproduction;
- to assess attitudes of farmers in targeted communities to health, husbandry and market issues; and,
- to improve knowledge of cattle supply chain and key drivers for change in the targeted communities.
Source of Funding
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
Project Timeframe
July 2007 - November 2010
Best practice health and husbandry of cattle and buffalo in Lao PDR AH/2006/159
Farm Animal & Veterinary Public Health Staff
Professor Peter Windsor
Ms Luzia Rast
National Collaborators
Dr Tristan Jubb, Tristan Jubb Veterinary Consulting
Dr Joanne Millar, Charles Sturt University
International Collaborators
Dr Syseng Khounsy, Department of Livestock and Fisheries, Lao PDR
Dr Werner Stur, CIAT, Cambodia
Mr Yongthong Sihanath, National Agriculture and Forestry Extension Service, Lao PDR
Summary
Lao PDR is a country of 4.5 million people with livestock accounting for approximately 20% of agricultural GDP. The population of cattle and buffaloes is approximately 2 million with annual increases of up to 2% for cattle and 0.75% for buffalo, with the demand for meat growing rapidly in south-east Asia, estimated at 3% pa. The majority of large ruminant livestock held by small village producers and up to 25% of cattle are currently exported. This has created an opportunity to increase beef production and value and address rural poverty. However production income is limited by endemic diseases such as toxocariasis and HS plus poor nutritional, breeding and general husbandry and livestock management practices.
This project will improve smallholder knowledge of large ruminant disease control and husbandry. It builds on ACIAR projects AS1/2002/099 (Control of fasciolosis in cattle in Cambodia) and ASI/2003/001 (Control of transboundary diseases in Laos), is led locally by the in-country coordinator of ASI/2003/001, and will be implanted closely with AH/2005/159 (Best practice cattle health and husbandry, Cambodia) which commenced in 2006involving the same Australia team from the University of Sydney. A systems approach will be used to examine limitations of disease and husbandry knowledge to productivity, identifying which knowledge-based interventions can be delivered by the project staff working closely with village farmers, and developing a concept of ‘best practice animal health and husbandry’ for cattle and buffalo production in Laos.
It has these objectives:
- to confirm current knowledge of disease limitations to large ruminant production;
- to implement, test and demonstrate the value of interventions preventing key diseases, preventing introduction of diseases and managing reproduction;
- to assess attitudes of farmers in targeted communities to health, husbandry and market issues; and,
- to improve knowledge of cattle supply chain and key drivers for change in the targeted communities.
Source of Funding
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
Project Timeframe
May 2008 - November 2011
Livestock movement and managing disease in Eastern Indonesia and Eastern Australia AH/2006/156
Farm Animal & Veterinary Public Health Staff
Dr Jenny-Ann Toribio
PhD Student
Ms Edwina Leslie
National Collaborators
Dr Ian Patrick, University of New England
Dr Stan Fenwick, Murdoch University
Dr Joanne Millar, Charles Sturt University
Dr Bruce Christie, NSW Department of Primary Industries
International Collaborators
Dr Sugiyarto, Disease Investigation Centre, Denpasar, Indonesia
Dr Maria Geong, Department of Livestock Provinsi NTT, Indonesia
Ir Muktasam, University of Mataram, Indonesia
Dr Annie Ambarawati, Udayana University, Indonesia
Summary
Management of animal and animal product movement is an essential component of control programs for transboundary animal diseases (TAD). This project, focusing on critical transboundary diseases (highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and classical swine fever (CSF) in Eastern Indonesia and foot and mouth disease (FMD) and CSF in Eastern Australia, will strengthen capacity for effective disease control by identifying livestock trade patterns that are high risk for disease transmission and by supporting formulation and pilot implementation of policy designed to restrict, manage and/or monitor these livestock movements.
This project aim will be achieved by undertaking two types of activities:
- Risk Assessment – collection of data on chicken, duck and pig movements and related drivers, conduct of risk assessment to identify the highest risk movements; and estimation of risk reduction and economic benefit likely to be achieved by alternate mitigation strategies (such as restriction, vaccination, surveillance of these movements).
- Policy Development – introduction to use of risk and economic information to inform decisions on livestock movement in disease control programs; development of a framework to define and evaluate alternate policies on livestock movement; pilot implementation of a proposed policy; and refinement of the proposed policy based on pilot outcomes.
Government agencies responsible for animal disease control and quarantine in Eastern Indonesia are committed to control and aiming for eradication of HPAI and CSF. Disease control incorporating targeted poultry movement, surveillance and vaccination activities will lead to lower HPAI occurrence in Bali and Lombok. This will benefit all community sectors by increasing the availability of safe poultry products for home consumption, local sale and trade to other provinces, and by reducing perceived risk from HPAI for the tourist industry. Better CSF control from targeted movement, surveillance and vaccination activities leading to eradication will benefit NTT, where prok is the main meat source, by increasing output that will provide additional income and protein sources for smallholder families.
In Eastern Australia will be collected on informal pig movements in the non-commercial sector of the pig industry and use risk assessment to identify movement patterns that pose the greatest risk for the spread of CSF and FMD. Given the dire consequences of CSF or FMD for the Australian livestock industries, the presentation of this currently unknown information to stakeholders will progress discussion on the potential implications of informal pig trade for exotic disease preparedness and response in Australia.
Source of Funding
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
Project Timeframe
January 2008 - December 2011
Cost-effective biosecurity for non-industrial commercial poultry operations in Indonesia AH/2006/169
Farm Animal & Veterinary Public Health Staff
Dr Jenny-Ann Toribio
National Collaborators
Dr Ian Patrick, University of New England (Project Leader)
Dr Tristan Jubb, Livestock Health Systems Australia
International Collaborators
Dr Arief Daryanto, Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia
Dr Didin Sudiana, Directorate General Livestock Services, Indonesia
Mr Don Utoyo, Indoesian Poultry Industry Forum, Indonesia
Dr Annie Ambarawati, Udayana University, Indonesia
Dr Tahlim Sudaryanto, Indonesian Centre for
Agriculture Social Economic and Policy Studies, Indonesia
Summary
In South East and Eastern Asia, over 200 people have died, and over 200 million poultry have died or been slaughtered, consequent to infection with HPAI virus. Since it was first identified in Indonesia in 2003, HPAI has become endemic in 31 of the 33 provinces. Along with Newcastle disease, Gumboro and other poultry diseases, HPAI is responsible for significant economic loss particularly in the Non-Industrial Commercial Poultry Sector (NICPS) and village poultry sectors. High mortality rates, decreases in demand for poultry and poultry products in affected areas, continuing human deaths and the risk of a global pandemic, ensure that control of HPAI remains a priority for Indonesia. Considerable resources are being allocated by the GoI and donor agencies to control HPAI in the village poultry sector. Improving biosecurity in this sector will reduce the likelihood of flocks becoming infected and, therefore, reduce the risk of large numbers of infected birds being dumped into live bird markets.
The aim of the project is to improve the economic viability of commercial broiler and layer producers through the sustainable adoption of cost-effective biosecurity measures. The project will:
- Develop an industry-driven and supported approach to improving on-farm biosecurity in the NICPS;
- Define the biosecurity measures that will improve the biosecurity and the economic viability of NICPS in Indonesia and;
- Facilitate adoption of cost-effective farm and community biosecurity measures in NICPS.
To achieve this will require government policy support to improve poultry trading systems, particularly with regard to live bird and wet markets.
The project will identify appropriate, efficient and effective poultry biosecurity measures for NICPS farms. Resources will then be devoted to training of farmers and advisors and facilitating the introduction of these biosecurity systems within communities. Trainers will be accredited, farms will be audited and accredited, and the service industry that provides loans, credit, after-sales and membership services to poultry farmers will be encouraged to introduce minimum biosecurity conditions in their contracts and pricing structures.
By the end of the project there will be:
- approximately 200 farm advisors (private and public) trained, 200 farmers trained, 600 farms adopting minimum biosecurity standards and a market in Bali developed for products from HPAI-free farming systems;
- communities with private incentives to improve their on-farm Biosecurity;
- farmers with improved management and production systems better able to control HPAI (and other poultry diseases such as ND and Gumboro) leading to improved income and income stability;
- a reduced likelihood of HPAI outbreaks, therefore reduced possibility for pandemic.
Source of Funding
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
Project Timeframe
May 2008 - November 2011
Campylobacter jejuni through the food chain: from range through processing
Farm Animal & Veterinary Public Health Staff
Professor Michael Ward
Dr Priti Goswami
PhD Students
Ms Sarah-Jane Wilson
Mr Tenzin
Summary
Campylobacter jejuni is the leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in the US, with an estimated cost of treatment and loss of productivity exceeding $1 billion annually. Earlier epidemiologic case-studies linked campylobacteriosis to the handling and consumption of contaminated poultry. However, studies indicate that the prevalence of C. jejuni contamination in poultry samples has decreased over time, and campylobacteriosis from the consumption of poultry products has also declined. Nevertheless, C. jejuni continues to be a substantial health burden, being second in 2006 to Salmonella (14.81/100,000) in total food-borne cases in the US. This indicates that other sources for C. jejuni contamination are present in the food chain.
Beef products have had a major role in C. jejuni outbreaks in the US over the past five years. The Foodborne Outbreak Response and Surveillance Unit of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported five confirmed outbreaks of campylobacteriosis due to ground beef or ground beef products since 1999, which have affected 199 individuals. A C. jejuni prevalence of 57 to 73% in feedlot cattle has been estimated, based on fecal samples. However, the prevalence of C. jejuni on carcass meat is unclear. Preliminary data has shown C. jejuni in 94% of the carcasses sampled along the ventral midline cut. This region is frequently trimmed and sent to the grinders for the production of ground beef. Findings suggest that C. jejuni isolates recovered from cattle are pathogenic to man. Based on preliminary data, it is hypothesize that virulent C. jejuni are introduced into ground beef from trimmings, and that the C. jejuni-contaminated trimmings pose a serious risk factor for consumers.
This hypothesis is being tested by sampling feedlot cattle from range to processing, isolating C. jejuni from cattle beginning at the range, at the feedlot, and right through to the production of fine ground beef. In addition, environmental samples are being obtained from birds residing at the feedlot, feed, feed bunks, watering units, and the floor of pens designated for the holding of the calves. At the processing stage, carcasses are being sampled using both the USDA-APHIS and ventral midline methods, in order to evaluate differences. Isolates obtained from these samples are being examined for genotypic differences, antibiotic resistance, and virulence traits. A temporal increase in C. jejuni prevalence through the feedlot cattle production cycle, and phenotypic and genotypic consistencies between environmental, cattle and meat isolates will allow hypothesis testing. The specific aims of this project are:
1. isolation of C. jejuni from the feedlot environment and beef cattle from range to slaughter;
2. determine the genetic diversity of C. jejuni isolates, and
3. assess the antibiotic susceptibilities and virulence properties of bovine C. jejuni isolates.
Source of Funding
United States Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service - Food Safety and Epidemiology Program
Project Timeframe
September 2008 - August 2011