The Welsh Government has issued the latest Bovine TB Programme refresh consultation. This consultation has far-reaching impacts for all regions of Wales.
There are sections on the future of compensation payments, informed purchasing and additional testing requirements. The consultation has several questions:
1. Legal requirement for farmer paid PrMTs from herds in the Low TB Area
2. Legal requirement for farmer paid PoMTs for all cattle movements in the Intermediate TB Area from the High TB Area, high risk areas and NI.
3. Farmer paid PoMTs for cattle movements from a TB hotspot or identified high risk dispersal.
4. Not allowing the herd clearing test to be the PrMT in a persistent breakdown herd.
5. The use of alternative tests (e.g. IDEXX) for PrMTs. These may have additional costs borne by the cattle keeper.
6. Legal requirement for farmers not to move cattle between the TT1 and TT2 or between blood testing and results.
7. The use of informed purchasing - including mandatory TB information at sale.
8. Changes to the compensation regime which link TB payments to disease prevention and control.
9. The future role of the eradication boards.
The consultation document can be found via the link below:
https://gov.wales/refreshed-tb-eradication-programme-2021
The consultation closed on 8th February 2022 and the FUW response can be viewed here.