On-farm biosecurity

On-farm biosecurity is a set of measures designed to protect a property from the entry and spread of pests and diseases. It is the responsibility of the landowner and every person visiting or working on the property to ensure that these are implemented.

Pathways of spread

Pests and diseases can spread to your property through the movement of people, animals, crops, vehicles, machinery and equipment, as well as in soil mud and contaminated feed and seed.

Manage your biosecurity risks

People

Ask all visitors to check that their footwear and clothing are free from mud and plant seeds or fragments before entering your farm
Provide cleaning facilities such as hand washing basins or foot baths
Include biosecurity as part of your farm induction for visitors (as you would with health and safety).

Vehicles, machinery and equipment

Limit the number of access points to your farm
Place biosecurity signage at the farm entrance (available from Environment Canterbury)
Only allow clean vehicles and machinery to access your farm
Provide a washdown area in your yard for vehicles entering or exiting your farm
Direct visitors to designated parking areas away from livestock or crops, and if they are accessing the farm ask that they stay on formed roads and tracks whenever possible.

Livestock

Before buying new stock, or allowing someone else’s stock to graze on your farm, check whether there are any pests or diseases on the farm they have come from
Isolate new animals in a holding paddock for 21 days
Only take healthy livestock to shows, sales and markets.

Feed and seed

Only buy certified seed and propagation material
Before bringing feed on to your property, ask about any pest plants at the source
Regularly monitor feed-out areas for pest plants

Cleaning procedures between properties

Contaminants should be left at the site. So if you have walked, used equipment, driven vehicles or used machinery within the property and could have possibly collected soil, seed or encountered animals/by-products on any of these items, including footwear, remember to:

STEP 1 - Clean

Remove as much debris as possible and leave on-site, by scraping, brushing, or sweeping the surface to remove all solids. This pre-cleaning is also important because many disinfectants are less potent in the presence of organic material.
Moisten the area if it is dusty, to minimise aerosolisation.

STEP 2 - Wash

Clean the cleanest item to the dirtiest. Wash by wiping, or scrubbing footwear and equipment with clean water to reduce the amount of debris
If you use soap to wash - thoroughly rinse all surfaces at low pressure to remove any residue as this can inactivate some disinfectants
To reduce the risk of excess dilution of a disinfectant, allow items to drain or dry before application
Caution: Use extra care with high-pressure spraying to minimise spreading contaminants via aerosolisation.

STEP 3 - Disinfect

Spray the washed items with disinfectant Citrox PWT* at 0.5% (50ml per 10 litres)
Allow the disinfectant solution to sit and work for 2 minutes or more to deactivate any potential bacteria, fungus or virus before rinsing.
Caution: Read Citrox PWT Safety Material Datasheet and keep a copy in your biosecurity hygiene kit.