QUEENSLAND producers will soon be able to access sheep from the important Walgett Shire in NSW with its impending declaration as an ovine Johne's disease biosecurity zone.
Elders northern wool manager Bruce McLeish said north-west NSW has long been a key source of sheep for Queensland but producers had been prevented from sourcing sheep from Walgett because of its OJD status.
"We understand there was only one known case of OJD in the region on a stock route but for whatever reason the shire had not been declared a biosecurity zone," Mr McLeish said.
"The declaration fills in a significant gap in where Queensland producers have traditionally sourced their sheep.
"Not only that, it will increase competition for NSW producers' sheep."
The adjoining Western, Coonamble, Coonabarabran, and Nyngan regions have long being declared biosecurity zones and able to trade sheep with Queensland.
The northern Tablelands and the Riverina are also biosecurity zones.
Queensland is free of OJD and is a single biosecurity zone and unlike the southern state with multiple biosecurity areas.
Walgett Shire is expected to be signed off as a OJD biosecurity zone in coming weeks.
Mr McLeish said he hoped the Moree and Narrabri regions would also be declared biosecurity zones in the future.
AgForce sheep and wool president Sandy Smith said sheep bred in the Walgett Shire performed particularly well in the fine wool areas of southern Queensland including the Traprock.
"But plenty of sheep from the region head to all of Queensland's sheep producing areas," Mr Smith said.
"Producers from Cunnamulla and Barcaldine have been attempting to source sheep from Walgett but had been prevented from doing so until the biosecurity zone was declared."
The integrity of the biosecurity zones rely on audits to monitor each region's OJD-free status. Audits are conducted at slaughter on sheep aged more than two-years-old at Wallangarra meatworks on a rotational basis with the Gundagai, Cootamundra and Cowra abattoirs.
OJD is decribed by the National Johne's Disease Program as an incurable, infectious wasting disease of sheep that can result in significant economic losses on infected farms due to sheep deaths and lost production in meat, lambs and wool.
OJD is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium paratuberculosis.
Mark Phelps
Editor-in-chief of Queensland Country Life.
Editor-in-chief of Queensland Country Life.
