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EmailIphone Application    Posted: 19th December 2018
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BVA welcomes Defra announcement on bovine TB
"We hope this news will provide further motivation for those farms that are currently TB free but do not yet meet the six-year threshold" - Simon Doherty, BVA president.
Move to reduce testing burden on lower-risk farms 

BVA president Simon Doherty has welcomed a government announcement on bovine TB (bTB).

On Tuesday (18 December), Defra announced that farmers with herds in the Edge Area of England who have remained clear of bovine TB for at least six years will be able to revert to annual, rather than six-monthly, testing.

Defra hopes the move will reduce the testing burden on lower-risk farms and incentivise other farms to take steps to mitigate their risk of bTB. The change will take effect in May 2019.

“From stringent biosecurity to the application of risk-based trading principles, farmers need to be doing everything they can to stop this disease spreading,” said farming minister George Eustice. “As a Government we will also continue to robustly apply a range of interventions, including cattle movement controls, increased and better TB testing and licensed badger control in certain areas.”

Responding, BVA president Simon Doherty said the BVA was 'pleased to see the government taking a risk-based approach to TB testing' and reducing the burden on lower-risk farms. He added the change reflects recommendations BVA made earlier this year, that Cattle Health Certification Standards should be prioritised and incentivised, with compliance linked to reduced testing and regulatory burden.

“Farms that have been accredited under the industry-led scheme require a raft of biosecurity measures to be in place and we hope this news will provide further motivation for those farms that are currently TB free but do not yet meet the six-year threshold,” he said.

“We welcome the second round of applications for the Badger Edge Vaccination Scheme, and the accompanying grants, to create a buffer zone between the highest and lowest risk areas of England. Halting the spread of bovine TB is essential and it is vital that we continue to take a comprehensive, collaborative and risk-based approach to curbing this devastating disease.”

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Birmingham Dogs Home makes urgent appeal

News Story 1
 Birmingham Dogs Home has issued an urgent winter appeal as it faces more challenges over the Christmas period.

The rescue centre has seen a dramatic increase in dogs coming into its care, and is currently caring for over 200 dogs. With rising costs and dropping temperatures, the charity is calling for urgent support.

It costs the charity £6,000 per day to continue its work.

Fi Harrison, head of fundraising and communications, said: "It's heart-breaking for our team to see the conditions some dogs arrive in. We really are their last chance and hope of survival."

More information about the appeal can be found here. 

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News Shorts
Avian flu confirmed at premises in Cornwall

A case of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 has been detected in commercial poultry at a premises near Rosudgeon, Cornwall.

All poultry on the infected site will be humanely culled, and a 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone have been put in place. Poultry and other captive birds in the 3km protection zone must be housed.

The case is the second avian flu case confirmed in commercial poultry this month. The H5N5 strain was detected in a premises near Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, in early November. Before then, the disease had not been confirmed in captive birds in England since February.

The UK chief veterinary officer has urged bird keepers to remain alert and practise robust biosecurity.

A map of the disease control zones can be found here.