A catastrophic mouse plague is sweeping across eastern Australia, destroying vast swathes of crops and threatening the country’s agricultural output. The infestation, the worst in decades, has prompted an offer of technical assistance from British agricultural experts. The scale of the plague is unprecedented.
Farmers in New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria have reported fields stripped bare, grain silos contaminated, and machinery damaged by the rodents. The economic cost is estimated to run into hundreds of millions of dollars. The British government, through its Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, has offered to deploy specialists in rodent control and biosecurity.
The offer, extended via the British High Commission in Canberra, includes expertise in integrated pest management and the use of fertility control agents. In a statement, the British High Commissioner to Australia, Vicki Treadell, said: “We stand with our Australian friends in this challenging time. Our experts are ready to share knowledge and best practices to help mitigate the crisis.
” The Australian government has welcomed the offer, with Agriculture Minister David Littleproud describing it as “a practical and welcome gesture from a trusted ally.” The mouse plague has been exacerbated by ideal breeding conditions following years of drought and then heavy rains. Mice populations have exploded, with densities reported at up to 1,000 per hectare.
The rodents are now moving into urban areas, causing additional public health concerns. The crisis has forced many farmers to abandon planting winter crops, including wheat and barley. The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences has warned that the plague could reduce the national winter crop harvest by up to 10 percent.
British experts have previously assisted Australia during the 2010 mouse plague, which caused an estimated A$1 billion in damage. Their advice on baiting strategies and crop hygiene helped reduce the impact. The current offer is part of a broader bilateral cooperation agreement on agricultural science.
The British team is expected to arrive in Australia within weeks, pending travel arrangements and quarantine requirements. The collaboration underscores the deepening ties between the two countries post-Brexit, with a new free trade agreement signed in December 2021. The mouse plague is a further setback for Australian farmers, who have also faced bushfires, floods, and the Covid-19 pandemic in recent years.
