In 2017, with funding from the Rural Development Program for England (RDPE), the TB Advisory Service was set up to deliver TB biosecurity advice on farm and telephone advice to cattle keepers across the High Risk and Edge Areas of England. To date they have delivered TB Biosecurity Advice to over 3000 farmers.
In 2021 Defra continued the funding and has made the service available to farmers of all TB susceptible species (camelids, deer, goats, pigs and sheep as well as cattle) and to all areas of England. Farmers who have previously accessed the service are eligible to have further visits. All visits are to be carried out by specifically trained vets, in most cases this will be the farmers own private vet.
The TB Advisory Service encourages farmers to look at TB as an infectious disease. As an industry we are great at identifying and controlling many infectious diseases on farm such as mastitis, BVD, and Johne’s. TBAS appreciates there are many risk factors out of a farmers control due to TB being a notifiable disease and the main wildlife reservoir being a protected species but there are many TB risks that can be reduced if not eliminated.
During the visit six areas of risk are discussed and explored. At the end of the visit four recommendations, that are appropriate to the risks identified but also to the farm business, are agreed.
The six risk factors covered on farm by the TB Advisory Service.
1. TB history of the farm
2. Local/ geographical risk
3. Risk from incoming stock
4. Risks at pasture including badgers and neighbours
5. Risks in the farmyard including badgers, manure management and visitors
6. Risk TB poses to the farm business
Six months after the initial visit the vet will return to the farm to see which of the recommendations have been completed and if they haven’t why not. Alongside this information the TBAS would like to assess the costs both in time and money taken to complete the tasks, to demonstrate to Defra what farmers are committed to putting into TB control on their own farm.
So far feedback for the TB Advisory Service has been really positive. 98% of farmers said the recommendations were useful (92% very useful) and 96% of farmers said the TBAS service was Excellent or acceptable (90% Excellent).
If you would like more information or to book a free visit, please contact TBAS directly on 01306 779410, email info@tbas.org.uk or visit the website or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter
Sarah Tomlinson, TB Advisory Service Technical Director and RABDF Council Member