The Milk Producer - June 2011 - (Page 36)

RUMINATIONS By Ann Godkin Johne’s control Programs implemented across Canada take different routes to arrive at the same ultimate destination for the industry T o ensure Canadian dairy products come from herds where Johne’s disease is under control and cows are not at risk of infection, the Canadian Johne’s Initiative designed an on-farm program in 2007 to achieve this goal. Today, producer and veterinarian participation is critical to success in several provinces that have moved ahead to implement the program. Using federal government funding, the Canadian initiative gathered a national group of experts to design the on-farm program, similar to successful initiatives in other countries such as Australia, the Netherlands and the U.S. The Canadian program supports two major directions, or streams. The management stream encourages herd management changes to prevent infection. The status stream mandates intense testing and animal movement restrictions, leading to herd certification for a low Johne’s risk. After program details were finalized and the operations manual was written, provincial representatives went home to look for ways to imple- All provincial programs embrace key common components. ment this national strategy at the provincial level. No national funding is specifically available for program implementation. To get underway, each provincial Johne’s group has had to seek funding from producer organizations and, if available, from either provincial or federal governments. Over the last four years, some provinces have gone ahead with program implementation while others are moving at a slower pace. While most provincial dairy groups are keen to have a Johne’s program in place, the rate and style of program implementation mostly reflects the different ways funds have been put forward for Johne’s prevention. Let’s take a closer look at the current status of Johne’s programs across Canada: Alberta first off the mark Ruminations is prepared by Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs livestock technology specialists to provide information you can use on your farm. Having started a voluntary program in 2001, Alberta has had the longest running Johne’s control program of any Canadian province. Although it has lost some momentum and many herds have not continued to participate, Alberta Milk is supporting a new program that will potentially recruit previously enrolled herds and are proposing to add an additional program for low-risk herds. This new component could let low-risk herds become certified according to an annual standardized testing protocol. 36 | June 2011 | MilkPRODUCER

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Milk Producer - June 2011

The Milk Producer - June 2011
Contents
Editor’s Notes
DFO Chair’s Message
Dairy Update
Industry Roundup
DFC Promotion
Research
Applied Science
Ruminations
Rearing Replacements
Markets
New ’N’ Noted
Back Forty

The Milk Producer - June 2011