Draft National Johne’s Management Programme for Dairy Cattle launched in Worcester
The Action Group on Johne’s launched today a draft National Johne’s Management Programme at a conference hosted by Dairy UK and DairyCo.
The Action Group on Johne’s launched today a draft National Johne’s Management Programme at a conference hosted by Dairy UK and DairyCo.
The objective of the plan is to manage and then reduce the incidence of Johne’s disease in dairy cattle and engage dairy farmers in Great Britain in credible and robust Johne’s management activities.
Commenting on the draft plan, Lyndon Edwards, Chair of the Action Group on Johne’s, said:
“International experience demonstrates that control and the reduction of Johne’s in dairy cattle is feasible and can be delivered cost effectively. The UK needs to ensure that its performance in tackling the disease is comparable to its main international competitors.
“We have a responsibility as an industry to identify and use every tool available to reduce Johne’s in dairy cattle. We must focus on educating farmers, vets and farm advisors on the risks linked to the disease and develop a coherent and structured way to deal with it.
“We can make a real difference in tackling the disease. If we want a sustainable future for our industry we need to get a grip on Johne’s. A joint approach throughout the dairy industry is the right way to go and I’m confident that the National Johne’s Management Plan will deliver robust results and help us achieve a significant reduction of the disease.”
Delegates at the ‘Johne’s – Taking the Next Steps’ conference in Worcester also heard from several experts on topics including the Irish Johne’s control programme, surveillance and testing, available science on MAP and key control strategies. A key presentation also focused on the need for state-of-the-art biosecurity measures to prevent herd contamination.
The draft Management plan is now open for consultation until 18th January with the objective of launching the plan from April next year. The draft plan can be accessed at http://www.actionjohnesuk.org/news_item.php?id=5