On November 1 this year, the Australian johne’s disease (JD) market assurance program for cattle (CattleMAP) began the transition to alternative industry assurance systems.
This outcome follows a review of CattleMAP, undertaken by Herd Health Pty Ltd on behalf of the bovine johne’s disease (BJD) steering committee.
Major changes include the removal of zoning based on BJD status, reliance on producers to protect their livestock from disease from on-farm biosecurity management practices and a market driven approach where producers choose management practices that meet their marketing and business requirements.
According to Animal Health Australia’s Biosecurity and Product Integrity Services executive manager, Duncan Rowland, the new arrangements for CattleMAP participants is another step in the wider BJD review process.
“Feedback received by both producers and industry experts underscored the fact that whilst CattleMAP had served the industry well over the past 20 years, in this period of reform and deregulation the current CattleMAP format is no longer suitable,” Mr Rowland said.
“CattleMAP numbers have fallen dramatically over the last decade to unsustainable levels and participants have not received the expected benefits from being on the program.”
Under the new approach to managing JD in cattle, there is a new risk profiling tool for beef cattle - the Johne’s Beef Assurance Score (J-BAS).
In addition to this, the Dairy Score has been revised to allow dairy producers to continue to demonstrate high levels of JD assurance.
As of July 1, 2017 existing CattleMAP herds will transition to a J-BAS of 8 or Dairy Score of 8, which is the highest assurance level.
The highest score requires a property biosecurity plan monitored by their veterinary adviser and testing.
Producers can use their normal veterinarian.
Both the J-BAS or Dairy Score of 8 voluntary assurance systems also include lower assurance scores that require different biosecurity and testing options.
The implementation of the relevant biosecurity measures in both programs is monitored by annual veterinary review and herd testing to the higher levels, to provide confidence for buyers of assurances of low risk animals.
“Beef and dairy producers can maintain market advantage by using either J-BAS or Dairy Score tools to assure buyers of the JD status of their herds,” Mr Rowland said.
“These scoring systems allow producers and buyers to assess their JD risk and make informed purchasing decisions.”
Vaccine available, with high price tag
A vaccine is available to both beef and dairy producers who suspect their cattle herd may have johne’s disease (JD). Called Silirum, it is Australia's only vaccine available as an aid in the control of JD.
But the downside is the cost, retailing at about $25 per dose – a far cry from the $5 dose used when vaccinating sheep. According to Alex McDonald, most producers wouldn’t go into a vaccination program in cattle anywhere near as readily as they would sheep. “In cattle the only cases where you would justify vaccination would be where there is a particularly high infection level,” Mr McDonald said.
The vaccine can only be supplied on the authority of the state chief veterinary officer or chief Inspector of stock or director general of NSW Agriculture to approved people or their approved veterinarian, except in Victoria where the chief veterinary officer grants a general approval for the use of Silirum vaccine. The vaccine is not registered for use in Western Australia.
Moving stock state to state
Although the new assurance program will make it easier for cattle producers to move stock from one state to another, with most states removing zoning and deregulating jurisdictions, Western Australia has imposed interim border controls with more stringent requirements than J-BAS 8.
For cattle introduced from Queensland the herd must have a minimum J-BAS score of 8 and have had a negative “check test” of the oldest animals in the herd in the past 12 months.
For the rest of the Australian states, the requirement is for a minimum J-BAS score of 8 with three negative biennial sample tests over four years plus certification of a negative test within the previous 24 months if more than 24 months since the last sample test.
“The bottom line is, everywhere except WA, it is basically ‘free trade’,” Alex McDonald, Australian Registered Cattle Breeders Association (ARBCA) BJD spokesperson, said.
Mr McDonald said additional testing of cattle herds would only be required when sending cattle into WA.
“If you are not interested in selling cattle into WA, then life goes on, as such,” he said.
“The only reason you would likely test is if you did get a crook animal and your vet advised to test for JD.
“Producers can do this for their own piece of mind to see if they had JD in the herd or not.”
He said the big difference is that under the old system if you were found to be infected, in any area, you were then quarantined and then trace forwards would be done to any herds you sold cattle to. That process is now completely gone.
