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The new Johne's Disease National Control Programme has been given the green light to commence in September.
Animal Health Ireland (AHI) is set to follow up on a pilot phase which ran between 2014 and 2016 with two new phases of a new Johne's management programme.
The moves means that herd testing for Johne's will be grant-aided, although the exact subsidy has not yet been confirmed.
The first phase will commence immediately for those farmers who were originally involved in the pilot programme and phase two is set for an early 2018 start.
Phase one
Phase one of the new programme, from September to December 2017, will include recommendations from an Australian consultancy firm on what model of Johne's control is suitable for Ireland.
The farmers involved in this phase will be the 1,800 mostly dairy farmers involved in the pilot programme.
Recommendations from this report will form the basis of how phase two (2018 to 2023) will operate.
The Australian report will detail what frequency of testing is best for Irish farmers, what other information is worth gathering, such as cull cow screening, and what steps farmers must take if they have Johne's positive animals.
A national awareness programme is scheduled for autumn 2017.
Joe O’Flaherty, chief executive of Animal Health Ireland said: “This new programme builds on the knowledge and experience gained from the pilot programme, a review of international best practice, and extensive consultation with stakeholders.
“The programme has drawn on best practice internationally in relation to the control of Johne’s disease and I am confident that the approach that is now being adopted in Ireland will prove its effectiveness over time.”
Phase two
Phase two of the programme, set to begin in 2018, will be open to all farmers and this would include both dairy and suckler farmers.
The new programme is set to receive the backing of all the dairy processors, the Irish Farmers Association and the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association.
Funding for the programme will be sourced from the dairy processors and farmers, with industry funding matched by the Department of Agriculture.
The implementation group of AHI will decide exactly how the programme will operate nationally in early 2018.
How to tackle Johne's Disease effectively
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