The deadline for an on-farm biosecurity plan to meet Johne’s Beef Assurance Score (J-BAS) requirements has been extended from 1 July until 1 October 2017 for cattle producers.
WA Cattle Industry Funding Scheme Management Committee chair Steve Meerwald said the new deadline would align with Livestock Production Assurance’s (LPA’s) new requirements for on-farm biosecurity plans, which would also come into effect on 1 October.
“The Johne’s Beef Assurance Score (J-BAS) is a tool developed by Animal Health Australia and Cattle Council of Australia that provides a guide to the risk of Johne’s disease (JD) occurring on a beef cattle property,” Mr Meerwald said.
“The J-BAS has replaced CattleMAP, which ceased in November last year following national deregulation of Johne’s disease.
“All beef herds in Western Australia received the highest assurance level of J-BAS 8 (as long as they did not have a history of ovine Johne’s disease on the property) when the J-BAS was introduced on 1 July 2016. This is thanks to WA’s long history of being free of JD in cattle.
“For those WA producers who currently have a J-BAS 8, to keep that score they need to have a veterinarian review and sign their biosecurity plan for their cattle properties by 1 July 2017.
“If your property currently has a J-BAS 8 score and you don’t complete a biosecurity plan by 1 July 2017, your score will drop to J-BAS 6.
“However, you can retrieve your J-BAS 8 status immediately, by putting a vet-signed biosecurity plan in place before October.
“After 1 October 2017, if you do not have a biosecurity plan in place, your J-BAS will drop to zero.
“Animal Health Australia and the Livestock Biosecurity Network have biosecurity plan templates available on their websites. You are encouraged to use these templates, but producers can use any template that best suits their individual cattle production business.
“While the deadline for the biosecurity plan has been extended, J-BAS testing requirements and dates remain the same. If you wish to retain your J-BAS 8 status, you will need a negative check test by 1 July 2018.
“Information about testing is available on the Animal Health Australia website or you can contact your local veterinarian.”
Mr Meerwald said the Department of Agriculture and Food and the WA Cattle Industry Funding Scheme Management Committee would mail all WA cattle owners information about the recent changes to the J-BAS requirements in July.
WA Chief Veterinary Officer Mia Carbon said it was important to note that the J-BAS was a voluntary scheme that was delivered by Animal Health Australia on behalf of Cattle Council of Australia and that it was not regulated by government.
“There is no legal requirement to be in the J-BAS, but producers should consider whether maintaining a J-BAS score may be necessary to their cattle business either now or in the future,” Dr Carbon said.
“Some buyers, both here in WA and in other states, will require a certain J-BAS before they will buy cattle.
“The higher the J-BAS, the lower the risk of that property having Johne’s disease.
“The Department also uses the J-BAS as part of the WA border requirements.”
For more information about J-BAS, see the Department website.
For updates on Johne’s disease management in Australia and the J-BAS, see the Animal Health Australia website at animalhealthaustralia.com.au/jd-cattle-tools/.
Media contacts:
Jodie Thomson, DAFWA media liaison, +61 (0) 8 9368 3937