![Region declared 'free from disease' Region declared 'free from disease'](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-agfeed/2044439.jpg/r0_0_1024_683_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
THE 200 Abattoir 500 tests completed across six shires in the Vic biosecurity area have produced negative results for OJD, sufficient to prove the north west corner of the state is free from the disease.
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"Historically, this area has traded more with SA and western NSW than southern Vic," North Western Victoria Biosecurity Area chairman and Ouyen farmer Kevin Crook said.
"Most of the sheep are sourced from SA and, especially as it gets dry, a lot of store lambs are going from Ouyen to the South East of SA, so it is just going back to traditional trading.
"We have never had OJD here and we have been able to get our records together from abattoir surveillance on this and write a management plan to continue trading with SA and western NSW - without testing."
Vic Farmers Federation Livestock Group president Ian Feldtmann said many Vic producers were still angry, describing the movement of control measures as a "restriction of trade".
He questioned the real prevalence of the disease in SA.
"Victorian producers are being asked to test their whole flocks whereas the SA system is based on abattoir surveillance, which is a delayed indicator of the disease," he said. There is a strong possibility that by the time flocks show up in the abattoir the disease has been on the property for some time."
*Full report in Stock Journal, October 24 issue, 2013.