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Testing costs too high
4 Apr 2007
Fears that the Department of Primary Industries is struggling to monitor the health of the state’s flocks and herds have arisen due to a shortage of government vets and a massive increase in pathology costs. An investigation by The Weekly Times found that veterinary pathology costs have jumped by as much as 275 per cent in the past four years. Australian Veterinary Association vice president Matt Makin said the price rise, combined with the drought, made it harder to convince farmers of the merits of testing. The DPI keeps no record of how much testing is being conducted across the state. The DPI's performance in monitoring and controlling disease has also come under fire, with farmers criticising its recent handling of an anthrax outbreak in northern Victoria.
The Weekly Times, 04/04/2007
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