Australian government officials expressed alarm Saturday regarding a severe rodent outbreak affecting western regions of the country, pledging continued collaboration with agricultural sectors to minimize disruption to food production chains.
“Obviously we’re concerned about the mice situation including in Western Australia,” Energy Minister Chris Bowen stated during broadcast comments from Sydney.
Reports from regional media indicate that rodents have overwhelmed agricultural operations throughout Western Australia’s grain-producing areas, where such pest issues have historically plagued farming communities. The crisis led agricultural producers last month to issue warnings about potential harvest damage while requesting authorization for stronger rodenticide treatments.
Bowen emphasized that the center-left administration remains committed to intensive collaboration with agricultural stakeholders to minimize the outbreak’s effects on both domestic and international food distribution networks.
“A mice plague is a very difficult situation for farmers and for industry and for governments,” he stated.
As the globe’s fourth-ranking wheat export nation, Australia experienced its most devastating rodent crisis in 1993, when the pests decimated vast agricultural areas and invaded livestock operations including swine and poultry facilities, according to the nation’s scientific research organization.
