BVD is a viral infection of cattle and it is ‘immuno-suppressive’, meaning infected animals become more likely to develop other health conditions. Welsh Government estimates that the annual costs of BVD presence to a 100-cow beef farm is £4,500 and for a 130-cow dairy farm, £15,000 a year.
The requirements
The legislation, which came into force on 1 July 2024, requires cattle keepers to carry out an annual BVD antibody screening test using an approved laboratory by 1 July 2025. This screening test must then be repeated every 12 months. Any animals found through additional testing to be Persistently Infected (known as PIs) will be restricted on the farm for life, must be housed indoors and must be isolated from the rest of the herd. It is recommended that they are sent to slaughter as soon as practically possible.
An ideal time to do the screening test is at the same time as TB testing as animals are already being handled. If this doesn’t work for your farm, you can work with your vet to find a more suitable time, such as when youngstock are at the right age. Animals chosen for the screening test should ideally have been in their management group for at least two months and must be unvaccinated. For most cattle keepers, the test will involve a youngstock screen of five unvaccinated animals between 9-18 months of age. However, if you don’t have cattle available in this age bracket, you can work with your vet to identify other suitable animals on your holding.
Additional requirements delayed
There were further requirements, including movement restrictions for non-negative herds, due to come into force as part of the legislation in July 2025 but effective delivery of this is reliant on EID Cymru being rolled out for cattle keepers. As this is not in place yet, the introduction of these requirements has been pushed back until July 2026, when it is hoped that the database will be in place. However, the requirement for cattle keepers to conduct an annual screening test and to isolate PI animals remains in place.
NFU Cymru is an active member of the industry led BVDCymru steering group which brings stakeholders from the Welsh cattle sector together with Welsh Government to discuss BVD and the operation of the eradication scheme. This builds on the work done by the cattle industry through the Gwaredu BVD scheme which was funded by Welsh Government through the RDP and saw more than 80% of Welsh cattle herds voluntarily screening for BVD, with 28% of those testing positive for the virus.