How do beef producers in Australia's northern and southern beef zones recognise and manage emergency animal disease? A new project at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga and James Cook University in Queensland is seeking to answer this question and determine the most effective and efficient strategies for communicating with producers about biosecurity. Researchers recently distributed a survey to beef producers in the Riverina and Hume Livestock Health and Pest Authorities, asking about their on-farm biosecurity practices. "Producer responses to our survey will help ensure that we can continue to work towards protecting Australia's beef industry from emergency disease risks such as foot and mouth, and maintain our 'low risk' disease trade status," said researcher Ms Luzia Rast from the Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation. "Responses will also allow us to build a picture of beef producers knowledge and practices regarding disease threats and the implications for recognition and reporting of emergency animal diseases. In the survey, producers can volunteer to participate in follow up face-to-face interviews. "We are looking for 30 to 40 beef producers to participate in these interviews and will select producers randomly from those who volunteer," Ms Rast said. The project is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Producers who would like further information about the project or surveys should contact Ms Rast on lrast@csu.edu.au.