Calls for cattle TB test before movement to Wales
The TB eradication programme in Wales aims to prevent the spread of disease through movement of cattle.
The Welsh deputy minister for agriculture and fisheries has called for cattle being transported from England to Wales to be tested for TB to help control the spread of the disease.
Deputy minister Rebecca Evans has written to Defra secretary of state Liz Truss claiming current bovine TB pre-movement testing arrangements in England could be posing a risk to farmers in Wales.
The letter highlights that Welsh farmers are concerned about the movement of non tested cattle from England and asks for the removal of a pre-movement testing exemption for those cattle tested every three to four years.
Rebecca Evans said: "All herds in Wales are subject to an annual bovine TB test but, as things stand currently, a considerable number of herds in low risk areas in England are only tested once every four years. While I appreciate the testing regime in England has been designed to reflect the local disease picture, it does mean that cattle can potentially be moved from England into Wales without ever having been tested for TB.
"One of the primary aims of our Welsh TB Eradication Programme is to prevent the disease spreading through cattle movement. Our increased testing regime means that where there is disease we are able to find it early and take decisive action to get rid of it as quickly as possible. Allowing animals which may not have been tested to move into Wales poses a risk to disease control and could potentially undermine our efforts to eradicate this devastating disease.
"Welsh farmers seeking to buy cattle from England have significant power as purchasers, and they can help by making it clear that they are only interested in buying cattle from England which has been pre-movement tested."
The letter was prompted by a case earlier this year where cattle moved from Cumbria to numerous premises in the UK subsequently tested positive for bovine TB.
With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.
