THE Sheepmeat Council of Australia and WoolProducers Australia will continue a national program for the control of Ovine Johne's Disease beyond next June when the current plan expires.
Sheepmeat Council president Ian McColl said extending the national program to control and prevent OJD, a wasting disease of sheep, had widespread support.
The future of the national program was a key issue at both councils' November annual meetings where they agreed to the following points for a new OJD management program.
Existing high, medium and low prevalence areas will be streamlined to either control areas or protected areas. Control areas will cover regions where the disease is well established or continues to spread. Protected areas will apply where the disease is rare and regional activities are controlling incursions. Both the sheep health statement and assurance based credit scheme will be reviewed. Abattoir surveillance for OJD will continue. Promotion of grazing management, vaccination and on-farm biosecurity planning to manage and control OJD will continue. WoolProducers president Geoff Power said a transition period for the revised program would start on July 1, 2012, with full implementation from January 1, 2013.
The revised program was developed after much debate but all the details of the new plan were still being finalised.
"We are working with Animal Health Australia to expedite the process," Mr Power said.
"A transition period for the revised program will start on July 1, 2012, with full implementation from January 1, 2013," he said.
"We have conducted an extensive review of all aspects of the program including a number of consultation processes to tap into the different sheep industry sectors," Mr McColl said.
"The results of the public survey and submissions from sheep industry organisations demonstrated support for the national management of OJD but clearly identified weaknesses with the current program that require change.
"It is possible to control and prevent OJD but to do so will require effort at a local, regional and national level. The revised program is designed to do just that."
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