THE state's sheep producers will be able to bring sheep across the border far more easily with long-standing ovine johnes disease movement restrictions to be lifted.
From July 1 they will be able to trade freely with NSW and Vic flocks, which the state government hopes will assist in SA's flock rebuild.
The national OJD management plan ceased in July 2018 and at the same time SA moved from a regulatory approach to a "buyer beware" approach to the bacterial disease, which leads to wasting in sheep.
Until now though only approved vaccinates from 'low risk' OJD areas could be purchased from NSW and Vic.
Under the new arrangements it will now be up to individual SA producers to manage the risk of introducing OJD to their flocks through carefully checking National Vendor Declarations and National Sheep Health Statements.
Minister for Primary Industries Tim Whetstone said without this reform SA farmers rebuilding after drought would have been "shackled" in trying to source sheep interstate while eastern states farmers were free to buy the "cream of SA flocks".
"Removing interstate movement restrictions will allow harmonisation with the national OJD program and will make sheep trade between states easier," he said.
Mr Whetstone said even though the movement restrictions were being removed it was still important producers continued to look for sheep that had been vaccinated against OJD, or vaccinate any stock they bought in.
"Good farm biosecurity should always play a central role in any purchasing decisions," he said.
Mr Whetstone said the change had been supported by Livestock SA and the South Australian Sheep Advisory Group.
Livestock SA president Joe Keynes said Livestock SA was pleased to see SA more strongly aligned to the national management arrangements for the disease.
"We are aware that approved vaccinates and stock from areas with a low OJD risk prevalence will not only be in limited supply when seasonal conditions improve but will also increase in price," Mr Keynes said.
"Freeing stock movements up will assist producers greatly as they start to recover from the recent dry conditions.
"As the National Sheep Health Declaration remains mandatory for all sheep movements into or within SA, producers will need to need to consider how to adapt their on-farm biosecurity and disease management strategies in line with these new arrangements.
Mr Keynes said the One Biosecurity program provided producers with a valuable tool to manage OJD into the future and encouraged those who had not already signed up to do so.
OJD remains a notifiable disease in SA and must be immediately reported to PIRSA.
