Cost of a Maedi Visna Flock Certification Program and the Changes in Productivity and Economic Return

Maedi Visna (MV) has been identified as a common viral infection in Ontario sheep. The Maedi Visna Flock Status Pilot Project (MVFSP) sets a protocol for control and eradication of this disease. A static normative model was designed to measure the economic benefit of such a program. Of the 16 producers enrolled on the program in 2002, 15 cooperated and were surveyed. Two benefits were identified from being MV free: 1) higher purebred sheep sale prices and 2) improved ewe productivity. The benefits to purebred sheep breeders warrant eradication within sheep flocks. With only a 10 percent improvement in purebred price, even on only 25 percent of lambs sold for breeding stock, a producer should expect to breakeven on the added costs associated with the MVFCP program just shortly after becoming ‘A’ Status. This outcome was robust for all combinations of flock size, ewe and purebred sheep sale values, and bleeding costs. Commercial sheep producers did not find the same positive outcome. With low prevalence of the disease, few benefits accrued. Only with prevalence levels over 10 percent with low bleeding costs and large flocks would commercial producers show a reasonable payback period of about six years, and then only with the Monitored Program. Payback would never be reached on the Whole-Flock Program for commercial sheep producers.