7 Oct 2021
More than 1,700 vets are now accredited BCVA Johne’s veterinary advisors, and will be signing farmers’ declarations on disease risk and status ahead of official December declaration date.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
Image © Sina Ettmer / Adobe Stock
Hundreds of vets are helping the farming sector prepare for a December deadline to declare their disease risk and status for Johne’s disease.
Dairy farmers must obtain a declaration, signed by a vet accredited under the BCVA’s Johne’s training programme, to confirm their herds have been properly assessed.
The declaration, which has to be signed by 31 December, is a key part of the National Johne’s Management Plan, introduced by the Action Group on Johne’s and covering dairy farmers in England, Wales and Scotland.
More than 1,700 vets have passed the training programme to be accredited Johne’s advisors, and the scheme now covers 90% of UK milk production. An initiative called Action Johne’s aims to support management and reduction of disease in Great Britain, and features numerous stakeholders.
Chairman of the Action Group on Johne’s Lyndon Edwards said: “Farmer members of the scheme have made amazing progress towards the goal of controlling this disease on their farms.
“This scheme is now regarded as a world leader in controlling this disease, and improving cattle health and welfare.”
Stakeholders in Action Johne’s have backed introduction of a Johne’s tracker to offer vets and farmers a user-friendly tool for interpreting test results.
The tracker provides a common framework for presenting test results, offering vets and farmers insight into the effectiveness of the wider Johne’s strategy.
