The Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association (TFGA) has called for a review of a proposed new scheme for controlling Ovine Johne’s Disease (OJD) to be introduced nationally on January 1.
OJD is a debilitating wasting condition that affects sheep. It can be controlled over time by a carefully designed vaccination program. Tasmanian farmers have demonstrated a strong commitment to OJD vaccination programs.
Under the scheme, areas will be classed as either ‘controlled’ (where OJD is prevalent) or ‘protected’ (where it is uncommon).
Tasmanian farmers will be disadvantaged because no recognition is being accorded to previous vaccination programs; and the whole state is now to be classified as a ‘controlled’ area. In the past, vaccinated sheep could move into low prevalence areas on the mainland. Under the new scheme, vaccinated sheep will not be permitted to move into ‘protected’ areas unless the flock can be proven to be free of OJD. This is a costly and time-consuming process.
“If a property in Tasmania has a low OJD prevalence within its flock, and its vaccination program has been running for more than six years through generations of sheep, those sheep should be able move into the protected zones,” TFGA chief executive Jan Davis said today.
“If farmers have met the risk thresholds, they should be allowed to trade.
“This would reward producers who have already spent a lot of money vaccinating over many years,” Ms Davis said.
The new scheme is controversial within the national wool and sheepmeat industries and is being opposed by a number of state farmer groups, including TFGA. They are calling for a delay in the changes until a proper investigation is carried out to establish, as Tasmanian farmers believe, that their vaccine management has been sufficient to permit their sheep to be sold into the protected zones.
The latest OJD information can be found on the TFGA website:
http://www.tfga.com.au/industries/wool/
Jan Davis TFGA
