World Grain - August 2021 - 26

FEATURE: FROM DROUGHT TO A MOUSE PLAGUE
ticularly for growers who had just experienced three
years of drought. On his property to the east of Moree,
Madden received just 120 milliliters of rainfall in 2019,
less than half a previous record low. Part of the reason
for the plague, he said, was the drought had forced
many farmers to destock. But with the abundant rainfall
in 2020, pastures grew unchecked by livestock, so
mice had another source of food and shelter.
Madden said many growers had baited at the first
sign of mice, but the numbers were so great that this
GrainCorp's supply chain
remains well protected and
secure against mouse and
other contamination.
Sophie Harrison, spokesperson, GrainCorp
wasn't always effective. In May of this year, the NSW
government announced a $50 million support package
to help farmers, households, and small businesses in
regional NSW address the mice's impact. Included in
the package are free baits and regional grain treatment
facilities, which Deputy NSW Premier John Barilaro
said would help take the financial pressure off farmers.
" The NSW government will establish grain treatment
facilities at specified locations across rural and regional
NSW for farmers to have their grain treated free of
charge, and we will provide rebates to small businesses
and households through Service NSW to help meet the
cost of buying bait, " Barilaro said, adding that an advisory
committee would be formed to share information
on the latest hot spots.
Initially, the NSW government made an urgent application
to use bromadiolone, an extremely strong poison,
to control the mice, but it was denied by the Australian
Pesticides
and
Veterinary
Medicines
Authority
(APVMA) due to safety and environmental concerns,
especially the impact on animals that ate the mice.
Madden said poison was used as a stop-gap measure
and that NSW Farmers were advocating for further research
into biological controls. He said a new look at
mice control was pertinent as changed farming practices
like zero-till and less livestock in pastures created
conditions that allowed the mice to flourish.
Research by CSIRO, conducted with GRDC investment,
demonstrated wheat-bait coated in Zinc phosphide
(ZnP) was 80% effective when the mixing rate
was p50 grams of ZnP per kilogram of wheat grain.
" The study further showed that if mice did not eat a
lethal dose from one grain of bait, they developed an
26
aversion to the bait and refused to consume any more
toxic grain, showing the importance of ensuring every
grain of bait was a lethal dose, " Henry said.
The APVMA issued an emergency permit to double the
strength of ZnP coated baits based on the CSIRO research.
Protecting the grain supply
Australian farmer Jeff Fragar told the New York Times
that his family would be lucky to sell 500 of the 700
tonnes of grain they had harvested, which could translate
to a loss of $30,000. The Times reported that other
farmers have had crops rejected or turned away from
ports after mouse droppings were found.
Madden said NSW farmers support the NSW government
funding because the state's estimated A$1 billion
crop was at risk if nothing was done. As NSW Farmers
Grains Committee Chair, Madden noted there is zero
tolerance of mice damage in grain storage, a sentiment
reflected by a spokesperson for bulk handler, GrainCorp.
" GrainCorp's supply chain remains well protected
and secure against mice and other contamination, " said
Sophie Harrison, GrainCorp. " We apply strict quality
controls throughout our entire supply chain, maintain
product integrity and safety, and protect Australia's
reputation for high-quality commodities and foods.
" In line with industry practice, quality controls include
a zero-tolerance for contaminants in loads delivered
to up-country sites and ports, including all lateseason
grain that may have had greater exposure to
mouse contamination. These strict standards can result
in the rejection of delivered loads but are essential to
protect the grain industry and our customers.
" GrainCorp employs a comprehensive testing program
throughout our supply chain to maintain the safety
of our products and ensure compliance with domestic
and international standards. This also ensures that
mouse control measures used by growers present no
risk to the supply chain. "
Harrison said GrainCorp was working with key grain
industry stakeholders to ensure effective controls are
available.
" Mouse activity has created a very challenging situation
for growers, and we are doing everything possible
to ensure growers are supported, " she said. " GrainCorp
continues to work with groups, including NSW Farmers,
as well as the NSW government, to ensure effective controls
to combat mouse activity are available. "
Taking pre-emptive measures
Looking to the season ahead, the mice don't appear to
be following the traditional boom-bust cycle. Typically,
the mouse population booms over spring and summer,
with numbers dwindling in autumn as food dries up
and the animals become sick and start eating themAugust
2021 / World Grain / World-Grain.com
http://www.World-Grain.com
World Grain - August 2021

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