Johne’s management plan deadline nears for farmers

Farmers are being reminded to act immediately to ensure they are compliant with the national Johne’s management plan (NJMP) by the October deadline.

By 31 October 2018, all farmers supplying purchaser members of the NJMP will need to have assessed their risks and herd status and put a written Johne’s disease management plan in place alongside a co-signed declaration of compliance with their British Cattle Veterinary Association-accredited Johne’s veterinary adviser.

Lyndon Edwards, chairman of the Action Group on Johne’s, warned there would be a lot of demand on vets over the summer months from a range of issues and advised farmers to act soon to get the signed declaration.

See also: More advice on dairy farming in the Know How centre

He continued: “There is clearly a strong commitment from all major dairy processors in the UK to deliver on the requirements of the plan.

“We now have a strong foundation to achieve what we’ve always hoped for, which is to set the industry standard for action which all processors and farmers will want to abide by.”

Action Johne’s Initiative

The Action Johne’s Initiative is the implementation of the national Johne’s management plan.

The plan is overseen by the Action Group on Johne’s, which is the industry committee – supported by Dairy UK, which takes the lead on pushing forward Johne’s management in the UK.

The group consists of organisations from the industry supply chain committed to tackling Johne’s.