31 August 2025 | 3-Min Read
Earlier this month, we saw a groundbreaking development in our future ability to manage foot and mouth disease (FMD), with the announcement that an FMD vaccine has been developed here in Australia.
While we have an excellent biosecurity record, this research demonstrates the Australian industry’s commitment to remaining proactive and prepared. Preliminary trials in Germany have shown the vaccine delivers a safe and effective immune response – the vaccinated cattle did not contract FMD when exposed to it and, importantly, they did not shed the virus.
For more information on this new vaccine, this month's feature article explains things in more detail.
Remote auditing process
You may be aware AUS-MEAT auditors can now conduct remote audits and some of you may have already gone through this process.
Remote audits are sometimes a more convenient option, and we recently enhanced our remote audit portal to make it easier for producers to navigate, access relevant records, upload documents, and see or receive comments and/or requests from the auditor.
To learn more about enhancements which will benefit both producers and auditors, please visit [the new webpage].
Ekka 2025 wrap
Earlier this month, our team spent two days based in the Large Animal Pavillion during this year's Ekka Beef Week – providing many producers with a convenient opportunity to approach us and chat about the eNVD or ask about changes to our other programs over the past year.
It was another successful year of working with the Ekka’s Cattle Council to increase adoption of the eNVD amongst cattle competitors. As a result, we saw a massive improvement in the uptake of eNVDs overall, as well as a significant rise in the number of fully completed consignments with the producer’s signature.
There was also a big lift in the number of transporters submitting fully completed and signed eNVD documentation – this meant virtually every led steer going through to the processor was accompanied by a fully completed eNVD, which was a huge improvement on last year.
This is the second year we've worked with both the Brisbane Ekka and Sydney’s Royal Easter Show to help producers adopt the eNVD for their show animals, and I know our team has loved spending time on the ground meeting with and learning from our producers at both events.
Please continue to check ISC's events page regularly to see which events our people will be attending over the coming months.
Funding for NSW producers
I also wanted to flag that AgSkilled is currently funding two face-to-face training courses through ChemCERT in NSW – AQF3 Chemical Accreditation and AQF4 Chemical Risk Management.
Individuals must live or work in NSW to be eligible and enquiries from employers or industry groups about multiple or group applications are welcome. Visit the ChemCERT website to learn more.
State-based webinars
Our annual state-based webinar series wrapped up this week and I was delighted to see the strong response we’ve had to this year’s sessions.
They are well worth watching if you’re looking for information on recent LPA program enhancements (including the EUDR geolocation sharing tool), updates to the eNVD, or the progress we’ve made on the NLIS Database Uplift Project.
If you were unable to attend the webinars, I hope you’ll take time to visit [our webpage] to view the recordings or access our resources.
MLA Updates
Before I close, I wanted to remind everyone that MLA Updates 2025 is heading to the Adelaide Convention Centre on 19 and 20 November. It’s shaping up to be a fantastic event, so if you’re able to make the trip, I’d really encourage you to attend.
This year’s theme is Towards 2030: Driving prosperity through productivity, profitability and sustainability. You can read more about the event or register to attend by visiting the website.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this month’s edition of Integrity Matters.
Kind regards,
Jo Quigley
ISC CEO