The statutory authority for commercial egg producers, Australian Eggs, has launched a virtual reality (VR) biosecurity training tool, aiming to increase the security of egg supply.
During the current cost-of-living crisis, the egg remains one of the most affordable sources of protein, with Australians consuming around 18.9 million eggs per day. This is supported by 21.8 million laying hens across the country, but the egg industry has been facing trouble this year, with a string of Victorian farms experiencing avian influenza outbreaks.
Biosecurity plays a crucial part in commercial egg farming to reduce the risk of poultry and egg-borne disease entering the food production chain, and Australia has some of the highest food safety protocols in the world when it comes to the supply of commercial eggs to food stores.
Australian Eggs’ new training tool aims to standardise, streamline and modernise on-farm biosecurity processes, which are a major priority for Australian egg farmers.
Australian Eggs managing director, Rowan McMonnies, said it had been a difficult time for the egg industry, with the avian influenza outbreak in late-Autumn, so farmers needed to prioritise biosecurity.
"The tool is an interactive application that visually identifies key areas on the farm that
pose potential biosecurity risks and assesses understanding of key concepts via a multiple-choice questionnaire,” said McMonnies.
“Initiatives like our new VR biosecurity training tool address current and pressing industry challenges, and reinforce our longstanding commitment to innovation, safety, and operational excellence.”
The new biosecurity training tool can be accessed here and is free for all egg producers to use and those who undertake the training will be provided with a certificate of completion.
