Australian agriculture's strength of being relatively disease-free also makes the nation more vulnerable to a terrorist attack on the sector, a report warns.
An Australian Strategic Policy Institute analysis issued this week said little consideration had been given to threats to the agriculture sector, which was an integral part of the Australian economy responsible for 4per cent of gross domestic product.
''A major disease outbreak in the agricultural sector, therefore, would have substantial economic repercussions from the farmyard to the kitchen table,'' author Carl Ungerer said.
He pointed to the inquiry into last year's equine influenza outbreak and its finding that there were ''continuing vulnerabilities in Australia's biosecurity systems''.
''Fixing these systemic problems is a high priority.''
Australia's status as being free of most agricultural diseases meant an attack would have a greater impact.
''A lack of previous exposure to these organisms, and therefore a widespread lack of immunity, only increases the vulnerability of Australian agricultural commodities to accidental introduction or a deliberate attack,'' he said.
Although the probability of the sector coming under attack was low, there was a threat, as shown by the discovery of information on chemical and biological agents found during a raid on a terrorist financier associated with Jemaah Islamiah in the Philippines recently. Jemaah Islamiah was responsible for the two Bali bombings.
''The threat of agro-terrorism the deliberate introduction of a biological agent, either against animals or into the food chain, for the purposes of undermining socio-economic stability and/or creating fear amongst the general population continues to receive higher attention in comparable countries such as the United States,'' he said.
The threat of a foot-and-mouth outbreak, such as the one in Britain in 2001, would cost the Australian economy up to $13billion.
''The consequences of the deliberate introduction of an infectious disease, potentially at multiple sites around the country, could be much higher,'' he said.
Dr Ungerer expressed concern about lack of training for vets to identify foreign diseases and the strong economic disincentives for farmers to report suspected outbreaks because their stock would be killed.
He offered several suggestions to mitigate the threat.
Biosecurity standards and procedures at laboratories and research centres ought to be improved, authorities ought to pay more attention to foreign outbreaks and train more people in recognising and treating exotic diseases. .