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Page 8 %u2013 National Poultry Newspaper, January 2025 www.poultrynews.com.auuntil you get the %u2018all clear%u2019. This is because you may cause the disease to spread, as many diseases are readily spread from animal to animal.In the case of foot and mouth, a national livestock standstill, banning all movement of susceptible animals, may be immediately declared for a few days to allow the authorities to assess where the disease already is, without the situation getting worse through continuing movements. It is a criminal offence to move stock during a stock standstill.Can I sell products such as milk, eggs, meat?This depends on the disease, but you won%u2019t be able to sell your products until there%u2019s no doubt they have not been in contact or contaminated with the disease organism. As this may be very difficult to establish, it might be necessary to suspend all sales.What can I do to help during an outbreak?In the event of an outbreak:%u2022 Stay informed%u2022 Visit outbreak.gov.au for information about outbreaks in Australia%u2022 Your state or territory department of agriculture or primary industries website will have specific information for your local area%u2022 Remember to cooperate with local authorities, they are there to eradicate the disease as quickly as possible, as well as help you.How long will it be before I can resume my normal farming activities and what do I need to do?The period between eradicating a disease and resuming normal farming is one of the most difficult things to predict, as it depends on the spread of the individual outbreak and the nature of the organism responsible.Once a disease has been officially eradicated, there will be a period of time before normal activity can recommence. Given the impact on producers%u2019 income, every effort will be made to limit this period and, of course, livestock producers are part of the decision making process and will be pressing for an early return to normal activities.It is very important to have good farm biosecurity practices in place all the time, but particularly during and after an EAD outbreak.Preventing a disease outbreakThat%u2019s exactly what farm biosecurity is all about. Simple biosecurity measures that will go a long way towards preventing a disease or detecting it quickly. In the event of an outbreak, good farm biosecurity is critical to assist the eradication process. Everyone must play their part.How does an emergency animal disease response work?EAD control requires a coordinated response drawing on significant resources and input from all tiers of government and a range of industry groups.When an outbreak of an EAD is confirmed, the state or territory authority will quarantine the infected property immediately. They may also quarantine other properties, such as those close to the infected property or because of recent animal, people or vehicle movement.They also advise the Australian Government, the other states and territories and the national organisations of the affected industries, so that management groups can convene and that agreed consultative disease management and funding arrangements can be put into place.The state chief veterinary officer:%u2022 Initiates quarantine, movement controls and assessments around the initial site%u2022 Alerts state emergency management agencies to activate the animal diseases emergency plan%u2022 Consults with national counterparts and advisors to seek agreement on the preferred national control strategy.Field activities are controlled from a local control centre usually established in the vicinity of the outbreak. Statewide measures are directed from the state control centre.Who should I contact if I suspect an outbreak of a serious livestock disease?Early intervention is vital in an EAD outbreak.If you suspect a pest or disease outbreak or have seen something unusual and you%u2019re not sure whether it%u2019s an exotic pest or disease, report it.Don%u2019t worry how insignificant it may be. Small signs may be an early indication that something%u2019s wrong.Your suspicions of a serious livestock disease must be reported to your local government or private vet or a stock inspector, or you can call the free Emergency Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888. The hotline operates to assist the early reporting of EADs.Two documents have been published to help livestock producers survive an emergency disease outbreak, scan the QR code below for these.For further information, visit farmbiosecurity.com.au or outbreak.gov.au Scan for documents.Guide to emergency animal disease responses* from P7Edward Alexander, the new CEO of Inghams Group.INGHAMS Group Limited recently announced that current chief executive officer and managing director Andrew Reeves would retire from the role in mid2025. Following a comprehensive global search that included internal candidates, the Inghams Board has endorsed the current chief executive of its New Zealand business Edward Alexander as his replacement.Inghams chair Helen Nash said, %u201cAndrew has done an exceptional job leading the business since his appointment in early 2021, successfully stabilising the business and optimising its performance.%u201d%u201cHis preparedness to step into the leadership role in 2021 from his position as a non-executive director of the company is a great demonstration of his commitment to the business and our team across Australia and New Zealand.%u201cAfter an extraordinary 40-year executive and board career, we understand his decision to retire from full-time executive life,%u201d Ms Nash said.%u201cAndrew will leave the business in a sound operating and financial position, with solid underlying fundamentals and positioned for future growth. %u201cOn behalf of the Inghams Board, our employees and shareholders, I would like to thank Andrew for his invaluable contribution and service to Inghams, including his two earlier years as a non-executive director.%u201dMr Reeves said, %u201cIt has been an honour to be part of the success of Inghams.%u201d%u201cDuring my time leading the company, we successfully navigated a global pandemic, stabilised and returned the business to strong profitability, and set in place a clear strategy and investment plans to support future business growth. %u201cAfter much thought and careful consideration, the time has come for me to hand over the reins to the next generation of leaders to take Inghams forward.%u201dIn announcing the appointment of Ed Alexander, Ms Nash said, %u201cWe are thrilled that Ed has accepted the role. %u201cEd joined Ingham%u2019s in 2015 and has held several key leadership roles, culminating in his appointment as chief executive New Zealand in June 2022, with responsibility for all aspects of the New Zealand business.%u201cUnder Ed%u2019s leadership, the New Zealand business successfully navigated significant Covid-related operational challenges with the business achieving remarkable results, including materially improving underlying earnings and completing the strategic acquisitions of Bromley Park Hatcheries and Bostock Brothers organic chicken business to improve Inghams%u2019 positioning within the market,%u201d Ms Nash said.%u201cEd is an established operational leader %u2013 with extensive experience in the company across sales, corporate development, strategy, integrated business planning and commercial optimisation, which makes him uniquely qualified to lead the business %u2013 and will ensure an orderly leadership transition.%u201dCommenting on his appointment, Mr Alexander said, %u201cI am honoured by the appointment and excited by the opportunities that we have in front of us as a business.%u201d%u201cThe company%u2019s long history has been built around a core philosophy of being deeply customer-centric, doing things %u2018the right way%u2019 and making bold moves where it makes sense to do so. %u201cThese principles remain an important foundation for where we are today, and I look forward to leading the business into a new era of sustainable growth,%u201d he said.%u201cOn a personal note, I am very grateful for the mentorship that Andrew has provided me over the past three and a half years, as well giving me the opportunity to step into the role of chief executive of NZ. %u201cI have learnt a great deal from him, and I wish him every future success.%u201d New Inghams Group CEO with retirement of Andrew Reeves