Australian seedstock producers are taking steps to protect high-value genetics should foot and mouth disease breach the nation's borders.
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Bovine reproduction centres like Rocky Repro have witnessed an uptick in inquiries as producers look to collect and preserve genetics.
Rocky Repro general manager Alan Smith said there had been an increase in producers collecting both embryos and semen.
"There is no question it [FMD] has absolutely fuelled inquiry around 'insurance measures'," Mr Smith said.
"We've got a number of clients who are preserving their genetic assets with a view of perhaps having to rebuild their herds one day.
"We are seeing people, particularly in the embryo space, where there is a bit of a reticence to sell their embryos, they are hanging on to them as potentially they may need them to rebuild."
One of Queensland's leading Wagyu seedstock businesses is among those considering this option.
Ausgyu seedstock production manager Jessie Chiconi is no stranger to the importance of quality genetics or the years of work that go into building up breeding programs.
She learnt the ropes in her family's Fairfield Charolais stud and became immersed in the commercial Angus world when she married her husband, Gary Chiconi.
Ms Chiconi was then further exposed to the world of carcase data and rigorous DNA testing when Chiconi Grazing pivoted into Wagyu production in 2017.
Last week she told attendees at the 400M Agrifood Innovation Forum in Toowoomba that the family was evaluating its business decisions in light of the threat of foot and mouth disease.
"As it stands, if foot and mouth enters our country, we are to a point that we are very strongly considering not buying further genetics at the moment for our business," Ms Chiconi said.
"With the likes of the $400,000 heifer that sold at the Wagyu conference in April, I don't know whether I'd be able to go out and destroy her because she has a disease that could have been prevented."
Mr Smith said it was difficult to foresee the future as the industry did not know exactly what measures the Australian government would put in place and how overseas markets would respond if FMD entered the country.
"The road out of it will be quite long, slow and protracted, and some clients are looking at measures of how to rebuild those assets overseas to continue operating," he said.
"We absolutely have some clients who have commenced organising exporting of some of their genetic material into safe havens around the world with a view to potentially rebuilding their herds overseas."
Ms Chiconi said foot and mouth disease was the most important issue the livestock industry was facing.
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"If foot and mouth does end up in Australia, and I do think it is more of a when than an if, we will never eradicate it," she said.
"Particularly for our property, we have an 85,000 acre (34,398 hectare) property north of Mungallala, and there's an entire eastern boundary on that that's all range country and you simply can't exclusion fence that area.
"But in the mean time foot and mouth is also an airborne disease as well so we will never be able to fence for it."
Ms Chiconi said as tight as border security could be, there was always going to be something that slipped through the cracks, and called for travel with Indonesia to cease.
"Don't get me wrong, Indonesia is a beautiful country and beautiful people but it is too dangerous," she said.
"We are far, far too big an industry to lose because we can't throw our shoes out on our way back in.
"But it's not only returning holidayers that are perhaps an issue; it's little bits of meat that might get stored in a suitcase on the way home, it is the things that aren't declared as well, which is always going to be an issue."
