Ovine johnes disease is set to be treated like any other endemic disease with the national program wrapped up on June 30.
The onus is now on individual producers to take a “buyer beware” approach to introducing the bacterial disease, which can lead to wasting in sheep.
The Gudair vaccine will also be an important tool to preventing losses in flocks.
The way forward for SA – which has spent millions of dollars on testing and subsidising vaccination for infected and at-risk flocks – is yet to be announced.
SA is the only state that has maintained a regulatory program to maintain a low prevalence of the disease, but Stock Journal understands changes are also afoot.
The new approach is likely to see infected flocks released from quarantine and producers using the One Biosecurity program, being developed by PIRSA, to minimise their disease risk on-farm.
The National Ovine Johnes Disease Management Plan ceased after a review by Animal Health Australia, Sheep Producers Australia and WoolProducers Australia questioned whether to end or extend it.
OJD management will fall under the Sheep Health Project at AHA.
This brings it in line with the deregulation of the national management of cattle JD in mid-2017, which led to the Johnes Beef Assurance Score program.
WPA vice president Ed Storey hopes SA’s OJD management decision will be consistent with the national plan, rather than “promoting trade restrictions” with other states.
“There is potentially a whole heap of JD which is not being detected because not all flocks are being tested,” he said.
“Unless they are going to test animals from every flock I don’t see how they can impose these trading barriers.
“That (testing every flock) it is not economical and will not happen.”
He said the SA Sheep Advisory Group and PIRSA-commissioned report, by then University of Adelaide’s Kym Abbott, in 2016 highlighted that OJD levels were likely much higher than reported.
“SASAG's decision not to widely release the report to the very producers who paid for it speaks volumes,” he said.
The NSW producer said SA’s punitive, regulatory approach was also “skewing” producers’ business decisions.
Mr Storey said there was clear evidence that SA producers concerned for their flock status had been selling older ewes interstate to avoid detection under SA’s Enhanced Abattoir Surveillance program.
Earlier this year, changes were made to the EAS, with OJD surveillance at Thomas Foods International no longer mandatory.
“If SA’s heavy handed, regulatory approach continues it is polar opposites to the One Biosecurity path it is going down – it makes no sense,” Mr Storey said.
“This is a disease that can be easy to manage with producers taking responsibility for it.
“We want people wanting to request abattoir surveillance to know their status.”
SPA president Allan Piggott said with the national OJD plan finished, it was even more critical that producers protected the biosecurity of their flocks using all the tools available, especially viewing Sheep Health Declarations before buying in any sheep.
The Moorlands producer said under the new arrangements South Australians would still be within the guidelines to determine the level of biosecurity they wish to maintain for the introduction of livestock.
“Biosecurity areas have been part of the Australian landscape for decades where individuals, groups of individuals or a state, have the right to decide the level of biosecurity they want to impose to help control the spread of certain pests, weeds and diseases,” he said.
Mr Piggott was keen to see PIRSA release details of its future OJD management for SA soon so producers could plan for any changes.
“We are coming into the busy sheep buying season and people need to decide whether their current biosecurity practices are adequate and appropriate,” he said.
“It is always cheaper and easier to prevent weeds or disease coming onto your property, rather than manage it when it is there.”
Livestock SA president Joe Keynes also hopes the SA strategy will “line up” with the national approach.
“There is a whole new dynamic in the way we manage endemic diseases in SA and one of the key indicators of the level of OJD was abattoir surveillance and this is no longer mandatory,” he said.
“This means the program has to be rethought.”
He said a comprehensive education program would be required to roll out any changes and Livestock SA was keen to work with the government to ensure all producers were well-informed.
Mr Keynes said the national review showed strong support for the sheep Market Assurance Program and hoped to see it continue.
“It has been an important tool for producers in SA to lower their risk of OJD,” he said.
The office of Primary Industries Minister Tim Whetstone and PIRSA were both contacted by Stock Journal for comment.
The only response was a statement attributed to a government spokesperson saying the government was working with industry and a decision on the future management of OJD in SA would be made in the “very near future”.
