Opinions are divided on SA’s approach to ovine johnes disease.
More than $1 million a year is being spent from the SA Sheep Industry Fund on PIRSA’s OJD program, funding testing and subsidising vaccine for infected and neighbouring flocks.
But some in the industry are questioning whether the producer money could be better spent on other projects and whether SA should fall in line with other states.
A recent poll conducted by Stock Journal showed 60.87 per cent of respondents favoured managing the disease through vaccination and a “buyer beware” approach, compared with 39.13pc who wanted regulatory control to continue.
Parndana stud sheep and prime lamb producer Andrew Heinrich favours SA’s control program remaining in place but acknowledges there is “no doubt” deregulation will eventually occur.
“We should be in no hurry to deregulate after all the work SA has done, especially when there are farmers who have not embraced vaccination,” he said. “It is a small cost for a lifetime of protection.”
Mr Heinrich says OJD is still an “unknown disease” and any future increases in prevalence could threaten live export trade.
In the future if we can buy sheep from anywhere, SA producers still need to be careful of the disease
- ANDREW HEINRICH
Vaccination is the way to go for at-risk flocks and those in high rainfall environments, he said.
Ella Matta has been protecting its flock with Gudair vaccine since 1999-2000 with its entire flock of 7000 sheep at least third-generation vaccinates.
But the Heinrichs have gone further for themselves and their clients with a Monitored Negative 3 status, the highest in the OJD market assurance program, and strict biosecurity.
They only introduce outside genetics through artificial insemination and have strong boundary fences.
Mr Heinrich says 20 years on from the first case being detected on Kangaroo Island, it is “well on top of the disease”, with very few infected flocks.
“It will be interesting to see how KI producers respond but they may choose, if SA did deregulate, to break with the mainland and maintain a strict policy of its own,” he said.
“In the future if we can buy sheep from anywhere, SA producers still need to be careful of the disease.”
But Elders Naracoorte branch manager Tom Dennis says producers should be vaccinating their flocks.
“As an agent that deals with people on both sides of the border, deregulation of OJD is the way to go with a buyer beware approach,” he said.
“Rather than the large amount of money spent on regulation, it could be spread further subsidising the vaccine, or if more people start vaccinating the cost will go down anyway.”
Mr Dennis estimates there is a $10 to $15 a head advantage in the Naracoorte blue ribbon ewe lamb sales for these sheep, with many Western Vic buyers bypassing unvaccinated pens.
“In 2018, I am telling my (breeder) clients they should be vaccinating if they are not,” he said.
Zoetis livestock marketing manager – sheep Daniel Guest said sheep producers were increasingly protecting their flocks and their business from the severe impact of OJD through best practice management and Gudair.
The number of Gudair doses sold in SA has risen from 530,000 in 2016 to 750,000 doses in 2017.
Submissions to the national OJD review close on March 12.
- Details: animalhealthaustralia.com.au/ojd-review/
