Launch of phase III of the National Johne's Management Plan

Phase III of the National Johne's Management Plan (NJMP) will come into effect from 31 March 2025.

The NJMP aims to manage and reduce the incidence of Johne’s disease on dairy farms in England, Wales and Scotland through the implementation of one of the six control strategies, which are monitored on each farm by BCVA-accredited Johne’s veterinary advisers.

Phases I and II sought to control and reduce the incidence of Johne’s disease. Phase III aims to build on the previous successes of phase II, alongside new developments and requirements.

Key changes for phase III include:

• All herds must obtain an average test value (ATV) for their herd to help assess the level of disease present and allow progress to be tracked over time
• The minimum requirement to generate an ATV will be a 60-cow random screen. The 30-cow targeted screen is no longer an acceptable option
• The creation of a national Johne’s control index target of ATV 5.5, with a goal to achieve this by 2030
• The ability, through the creation of a national Johne’s tracker database, to track progress nationally using ATV, % incidence and other drivers of infection within herds
   

Speaking about the forthcoming launch, Lyndon Edwards, Chair of the Action Group on Johne’s, said:

“We can be proud of the progress we have made to date. The prevalence of Johne’s disease in the national dairy herd is on a downward trend. Internationally, we have one of the most successful Johne’s control programmes in the global dairy industry.

“To protect that achievement, we must keep moving forward and address the concentration of infected animals in herds that have yet to fully engage with the initiative.

“Under phase III, regular vet/farmer dialogue and tailoring control programmes to the needs of the individual farm will remain the central component of the initiative.

"What phase III adds is a requirement for all dairy farmers to determine their ATV, on top of which we have set a national target for the average of all herd ATVs to reach 5.5 by 2030.

“ATV is a robust indicator of disease prevalence and a good guide to success in managing and reducing the incidence of Johne’s on a farm. It will provide a benchmark against which a farmer can assess their performance against their peers and the expectations of the industry and provide a stronger focus for the dialogue between the vet and the farmer.

"Given what many farmers have achieved already, we believe the 2030 target is eminently achievable.

“The reasons for tackling Johne’s keep growing. Not only does it address animal health and welfare, productivity and profitability, but it is also key to delivering on sustainability.

“Teamwork will be the key to success, and the vet/farmer relationship will be at the heart of this. But more widely, it is vital that all elements of the supply chain pull together to deliver continued progress on Johne’s disease control.

“The launch of phase III comes after a protracted process of engagement and communication that was set in train in 2022 and which included a very successful industry conference in November last year.

"It is going to be backed up with a comprehensive suite of training materials for vets provided by the BCVA and a range of communications from the Action Group, BCVA and AHDB to ensure that everybody is fully up to speed and on board with the initiative.”