Bin your jandals and keep FMD out!

In a bid to keep the disastrous foot and mouth disease (FMD) away from our shores, Federated Farmers says it is willing to borrow an idea from its Australian counterparts.

This week, Australia’s peak farmer body National Farmers Federation said farmers are now putting their money where their mouth is – offering discounts to travellers who bin their shoes.

NFF president Fiona Simson says treating yourself to a new pair of shoes while on holiday had never been a greater act of national service.

“Foot and mouth disease loves to hitchhike on shoes. That means your dirty old holiday pluggers could be the thing that brings this disaster to our shores. Don’t risk it!”

Australian travellers returning from Indonesia can now access a 30% Ringers Western discount code by posting evidence online that they’ve binned their shoes overseas.

Federated Farmers vice president and biosecurity spokesman Wayne Langford told Rural News that they are open to the idea.

"Feds are keen to investigate similar options to our Australian friends, if they lead to improved biosecurity outcomes,” Langford says.

But he notes that that there are no direct flights between NZ and Bali. On the other hand, several Australian cities have direct flights to the popular Indonesian island.

Indonesia reported two outbreaks of FMD to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) on May 9, after being free from it for 30 years.
Bali has about 16 million cattle, and now over 20,000 animals have been infected in 16 provinces on four Islands: Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan and Lombok. FMD is also present in Malaysia and China.
The disease does not pose a risk to human health, but it causes painful blisters in cattle, sheep, pigs and goats and could result in animals being slaughtered en masse to eradicate the highly infectious virus.

FMD spreads between animals via their breath, through contact with the blisters, and through infected milk, semen, faeces and urine.

The virus can also live on vehicle tyres, clothing and footwear, which is why stricter biosecurity measures are being put in place for travellers returning from Indonesia.

Simson says FMD arriving in Australia is a nightmare scenario for farmers like her. She says this unprecedented step by industry demonstrates how serious the situation is.

“I never thought we’d be helping people buy new shoes to keep my cattle safe, but here we are. There’s literally nothing we won’t do to keep it out and keep our animals safe.”

Langford says Federated Farmers is also urging holiday makers to also be extremely vigilant.

"Travel restrictions have eased and many families are keen to escape our winter for some sun overseas. But if FMD reached our shores it would be devastating for agriculture and our economy," he says.

"The FMD virus can live on footwear for 48 hours. Before returning to New Zealand please, please clean your shoes and jandals, or better still, buy cheap footwear while on holiday and dispose of them before you leave, and abide by the one week stand-down before visiting a farm here."
MPI advises to not let overseas visitors near stock for a week after they were last near animals or infected places overseas.  Frontline border staff are paying close attention to goods and any travellers arriving in the country from Indonesia, notes Langford.

"Our biosecurity defenders are doing their bit, we need you to do the same: bring back a tan, not foot and mouth disease." 

Increased Security

Biosecurity New Zealand is stepping up its work at the border with a campaign to ensure travellers do their part to protect farmers from foot and mouth disease (FMD), says deputy director general Stuart Anderson.

From this week, arriving passengers will notice more information about FMD in the in-flight airline announcements and in arrival halls, Anderson says.

Stuart Anderson

“We will also provide people with a check sheet of dos and don’ts with regard to FMD, and further promote FMD awareness on social media.

“Our border staff will also step-up searches of baggage for passengers who have travelled from Indonesia, including focusing inspections of footwear and disinfecting them at the airport if required.”

Anderson says although there remains a low risk of FMD entering New Zealand, it is important to constantly assess biosecurity settings.