Papua New Guinean Master Class
The Cooperative Research Centre for National Plant Biosecurity recently partnered with the ATSE Crawford Fund and Plant Health Australia to provide a workshop on plant biosecurity to six quarantine officers, researchers and agricultural field staff from Papua New Guinea.
Hosted by the Department of Primary Industries Victoria, the workshop provided the opportunity for Papua New Guinean government and industry organisations to improve their understanding of how the Australian biosecurity system works and to gain specific skills in plant pest detection and diagnosis.
Dr Tony Gregson (Chairman of the Boards of the Crawford Fund's Victoria Program, Plant Health Australia, Bioversity International, and the Molecular Plant Breeding CRC) opened the workshop in Melbourne on Tuesday 17 June.
"By sharing our own knowledge on biosecurity practices with our neighbours and helping them protect their agricultural industries and food supply, we are also protecting Australian farmers, by increasing the likelihood of key pests and diseases being identified and dealt with before reaching Australia ," said Dr Gregson.
"I see distinct benefits for Australia too. By working with countries like Papua New Guinea and sharing information, nationally and globally, we are better able to minimise the risk of pest incursions and the potentially devastating effect they can have on Australia's $22.2 billion agricultural industry."
The Cooperative Research Centre for National Plant Biosecurity supported the workshop as part of our education and training program which aims to increase awareness, knowledge and skills of plant biosecurity issues in neighbouring countries.
Image from L to R: Tony Gregson, Chairman PHA & the Crawford Fund; Jane Moran, Deputy Research Director Bioprotection Platform, DPI (Impact Management Research Program Leader - CRCNPB); Jo Slattery, PHA; Madeline Iko, extension officer National Agricultural Quarantine & Inspection Service (female blue jumper); Altheo Memo, extension officer National Agricultural Quarantine & Inspection Service (female dark jumper); Solomon Balagawi, entomologist, National Agricultural Research Institute; Joseph George Koima, extension officer, Fresh Produce Development Agency; Goroka Otto Ngere, entomologist, Coffee Industry Corporation; Birte Nass Komolong, plant pathologist, National Agricultural Research Institute; Dr Dolf De Boer, Scientist, DPI; Jane Parlett, Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy Manager, Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS).
(PNG Master Class image acknowledgements Stephen Zelez and Dolf de Boer, DPI Vic)
