We often hear our politicians and industry leaders talk about how critical strong biosecurity is to protecting New Zealand’s export industries. But when it comes to the crunch, as a country how far are we prepared to go to prevent a catastrophic incursion from overseas, or to tackle a threat from within?

In this episode, we talk to two highly experienced AgResearch scientists who’ve spent many years working on research in the biosecurity arena, alongside the government and industry.

Dr Axel Heiser, AgResearch’s chief scientist and a livestock health expert, talks about how
New Zealand can protect itself from incursions of costly diseases hitting our farmed animals, such as bird flu and Foot and Mouth Disease, and what we have learnt from the experience of managing an outbreak of Mycoplasma bovis.

It’s not just animal diseases that can harm New Zealand, and so our Emeritus Scientist
Barbara Barratt joins us to talk about the threat posed by pests and weeds, tools to manage them in a changing climate, and how investing in the research can make us more secure as a country.

To learn more about anything you’ve heard in this episode, visit:
www.agresearch.co.nz/podcast/.

For more details about some of the biosecurity research taking place at AgResearch, and as part of biosecurity partnership B3, visit: https://www.agresearch.co.nz/science-areas/plants-and-animals/weeds-pests-and-biosecurity.

It is estimated that an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease could cost New Zealand $16
billion over four to five years. Find out more at:https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/5281-Foot-and-Mouth-Disease.

AgResearch scientists have studied the massive economic impact of pasture weeds and
pests. Find out more about this at:

• https://agscience.org.nz/agresearch-finds-pasture-pests-costing-economy-billions/

• https://www.agresearch.co.nz/news/economic-impact-of-weeds-far-greater-than-billion-dollar-estimate/

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