In November the Welsh Government launched a consultation to refresh its TB programme. The aim is to be officially TB free between 2036 and 2040 in Wales.
This latest consultation is asking for the public’s opinion on potential key policy areas.
Changes to pre and post-movement testing
The Welsh Government are proposing to introduce more pre and post-movement testing between risk areas and higher risk herds and would like to know views on the use of more sensitive testing forthose privately funded tests. This would mean fewer infected animals are missed, but at the expense of more animals removed as false positives and the herds they are found in. The Welsh government would also like to have the ability to introduce temporary post-movement testing for animals moved from increasing TB risk areas such as identified potential hotspots, to limit the spread of TB between cattle herds.
Rules currently prohibit the use of a clearing short interval as a pre-movement test in persistent breakdown herds. It is proposed to introduce this to more breakdown herds, and we would like to know the public’s thoughts on where this would this have most impact on reducing disease spread. We need to balance this with the cost to animal health and welfare, farm businesses and farmer mental health?
TB information at point of sale.
For farmers to make more informed purchasing decisions the Welsh Government would like to mandate TB information at the point of sale. Alongside this would be the number of years a herd has been OTF included on the ibTB map. Knowing the moderate sensitivity of the skin test, the longer a farm has been testing clear of bTB, the more you can trust the most recent test has not missed infected animals. For those farmers that continue to make risky purchases the Welsh Government would like to know what appropriate implications for them would be.
Compensation payments.
Potentially the most controversial proposal are the changes to compensation payments; tabulated values in line with the current system in England, tabulate valuations with top up payments for farmers that are members of an approved accreditation scheme or a third option whereby compensation is paid for a farmer levy similar to the New Zealand system.
For more information on all the proposals visit Consultation Template (gov.wales)
It is really important that Welsh farmers and vets complete the consultation response on-line.
Without the views of those with a vested interest in how TB eradication policy affects their businesses and livelihoods not to mention farm teams and families, the consultation conclusions will be formed by those with other interests.
Sarah Tomlinson, TB Advisory Service Technical Director and RABDF Council Member