A 15-year program to eradicate the cattle virus Enzootic Bovine Leukosis (EBL) from the Victorian dairy herd has been successful.
Agriculture Minister Joe Helper said today the Victorian dairy herd and all dairy herds in Australia had met the requirements to be provisionally free of EBL.
“EBL is a viral disease of cattle that has trade implications for Australia’s $2.9 billion dairy export industry,” Mr Helper said.
“Eradicating the virus is especially good news for Victoria which has around 1 million cows out of a national herd of approximately 1.6 million
“Milk production from Victoria in 2008/09 was 6.135 million litres, around two thirds of the national total.
“Achieving provisional freedom is a testament to the hard work of and close collaboration between the Department of Primary Industries, Dairy Food Safety Victoria, the Victorian dairy industry, dairy farmers and veterinary practitioners.”
Mr Helper said the long eradication program involved regular testing of milk from dairy herds and the culling of infected animals.
“Freedom from EBL will provide a marketing advantage for dairy produce sold internationally and further demonstrates the high animal health and welfare status of Victorian dairy cattle and their products,” he said.
“It will put Australia on a level playing field with New Zealand and Europe in the wider pursuit of new and established markets.
“With the backing of the national dairy industry the past 18 months has seen a concerted nationwide push to achieve a provisionally free status for the Australian herd.
“Further annual testing of all dairy herds, by a bulk milk test over the next three years, is designed to demonstrate that the national dairy herd remains free of infection, enabling Australia to claim an EBL disease free status for the dairy herd in 2012.”
DPI Acting Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Andrew Cameron said this was a great achievement for the Victorian dairy sector and animal health authorities.