Australia worried over mouse infestation's impact on food supply

Australia's government said on Saturday it was worried about a plague of mice ​in the west and would keep ‌working with industry to curb its impact on food supply.

"Obviously we're concerned about the mice situation ​including in Western Australia," Energy Minister ​Chris Bowen said in televised remarks ⁠from Sydney.

According to local media, mice - a persistent ​problem in Australian grain-growing regions - have been ​infesting farms in the wheatbelt state of Western Australia. The situation prompted grain producers in April to ​warn of crop losses and call ​for access to more powerful mice poison.

Bowen said the ‌centre-left ⁠government was continuing to work hard with industry to reduce the plague's impact on local and overseas food supply.

"A mice plague ​is a ​very difficult ⁠situation for farmers and for industry and for governments," he added.

Australia, ​the world's fourth-largest wheat exporter, suffered ​its ⁠worst mouse plague in 1993, when the rodents destroyed thousands of hectares of crops and ⁠attacked ​livestock in pig and ​chicken farms, according to the country's science agency.

- Reuters