REVISED national Ovine Johne's Disease (OJD) management restrictions - effective July 1 - are set to reduce infection risks for South Australian sheep, according to Biosecurity SA chief veterinary officer Dr Rob Rahaley.
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The original plan, scheduled to start on January 1, was scrapped after an industry backlash at an Australian Wool Innovation-hosted forum in Sydney last year.
The new plan will allow producers in low-prevalence areas, such as SA, to establish a voluntary regional biosecurity plan.
Sheep health statements will also become a vital part of management.
There will be ongoing monitoring for disease, control measures on infected farms and entry conditions for sheep coming into the State.
Dr Rahaley said the impact on SA producers would be minimal as it continued a program that had significantly reduced the risk of OJD spreading.
"Breeder sheep entering the State from higher-risk areas must have a sheep health statement clearly indicating that they have come from a flock tested negative for the disease," he said.
"This can be either by laboratory testing or abattoir monitoring.
"The terminal lamb trade will be unaffected and Victorian producers will still be able to sell sheep for slaughter or to return to Victoria through approved SA saleyards."
Dr Rahaley said SA producers had requested that the OJD control program continue.
"The whole of SA will be managed under a regional biosecurity plan in accordance with the rules and guidelines stipulated in the new national OJD management plan, developed by the Sheepmeat Council of Australia and Woolproducers Australia," he said.
"Movement conditions have been specified for entry of sheep into and within SA.
"An extension program will be rolled out across SA (for producers and livestock agents) starting in June 2013, with details to be supplied prior to these meetings."
Dr Rahaley said when it came to trade between SA and areas of western Victoria the major change was that vaccination would not be recognised as a criterion for entry of sheep from higher risk areas into SA.
"This means that producers in areas like western Victoria will either have to develop their own regional biosecurity plan and have it approved by the SA chief veterinary officer or each producer will have to demonstrate that their flocks are free of disease either by laboratory testing or abattoir monitoring," he said.
State agriculture minister Gail Gago said she was very proud of the work done by Biosecurity SA and the primary industry sector to ensure that SA livestock had such low levels of OJD.
"I commend the industry for their diligence to keep this insidious disease out of our State," she said.
"The new restrictions on livestock movement from 1 July, 2013 need to be put in place to continue to protect our livestock, and maintain our standing as a national leader in this area."
In a statement, SA Sheep Advisory Group chairperson Jane Kellock said SA's new regional biosecurity plan was designed to maintain the State's low OJD prevalence while providing trading opportunities.
*Full report in Stock Journal, June 20 issue, 2013.
