A trimmed sheep’s hoof showing infection under-running typical of footrot.

WOOLPRODUCERS Australia is leading a push to find a company to help register and manufacture a footrot vaccine for the nation’s sheep producers.

The peak grower body said today is undertaking an open call for expressions of interest from organisations able to bring the R-Pilus Footrot vaccine back to Australian sheep producers, with the support of the University of Sydney.

The Footrot R-Pilus Vaccine was developed by the University of Sydney and Australian Wool Innovation, with around $1.5 million of woolgrower levies matched by Australian Government funding. It was previously available to farmers under an Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) Emergency Use Permit.

WoolProducers said that permit-based access came to an end in late 2020, when manufacturing and regulatory issues prevented ongoing supply. Because the R-Pilus footrot vaccine was never fully registered and only ever available under permit, producers were left with no legal pathway to obtain it once that supply stopped, WPA said. Australian sheep and wool producers have had no access to the vaccine since.

WoolProducers is seeking suitably qualified laboratories, research institutions and vaccine manufacturers, or a suitable consortium, that can carry out the research, data collation and registration work needed to get the vaccine approved by the APVMA and then register, manufacture and supply it to sheep producers.

WPA said the University of Sydney, which manages the intellectual property relating to the vaccine, is supporting the initiative and will work with the successful party on the arrangements needed to progress the research and registration. The vaccine can be tailored to the specific footrot strains present on individual farms, making it a flexible, targeted and highly effective option for producers, WPA said.

WoolProducers general manager Adam Dawes said footrot is a serious animal welfare and productivity issue, and producers have been without access to this vaccine for too long.

“This is about getting a proven tool back into the hands of wool growers and sheep meat producers.

“WoolProducers Australia has been working continuously to pursue restoration of this vital vaccine since growers lost access to it in 2020,” he said.

“Together with the University of Sydney, manufacturers, APVMA, AWI and MLA we have explored every avenue possible (including all available permits) as a means to restore grower access.”

Mr Dawes said restoring grower access requires full APVMA registration.

“A 2025 scoping study confirmed that full registration is the only path to bringing this vaccine back to growers for good.

“Unlike a permit, which is not currently available, full registration gives producers reliable, ongoing access,” he said.

“We’re now looking for capable partners who can take that on and commit to long-term supply.”

Once key partners are identified WoolProducers said it will engage with prospective funding organisations (e.g. RDCs, state and federal governments) to secure financial support to undertake this critical work.

A report by Meat and Livestock Australia in 2022 reported that virulent and benign footrot costs the sheep industry $82.2 million per annum, with an estimated net gain from moving all flocks experiencing virulent footrot to benign footrot of $59.7m.

Expressions of interest can be submitted by a single organisation or a consortium, and detailed information is available in the full EOI document. Expressions of interest close at 5pm on 25 September 2026.

For a copy of the Request for Expression of Interest or further information, suitably qualified laboratories, research institutions and vaccine manufacturers can contact Adam Dawes, general manager, WoolProducers Australia via [email protected]