Cattle keepers in the Low TB Area and Intermediate TB Area of Wales should have received a letter from Welsh Government detailing the changes which apply from 1 February 2024. These changes are detailed below and can be summarised as the reintroduction of pre-movement testing in the Low TB Area of Wales, the introduction of post-movement testing in the Intermediate TB Areas of Wales and the provision of TB Free information on ibTB.
NFU Cymru TB Focus Group Chairman, Roger Lewis said: “We broadly welcome the re-introduction of pre-movement testing in the Low TB Area, this is something we supported in our original consultation response and something members in the Low TB Area have been calling out for in county meetings.
Concerns
"However, we raise objection to the introduction of post movement testing in the Intermediate TB Areas and question the value of maintaining it in the Low Risk TB Area at the same time as introducing pre-movement testing.
"In our consultation response and in subsequent meetings with Welsh Government, we have voiced our concerns about the additional cost this measure will impose on cattle keepers and the practical challenges it will create on farm. We reiterate our call for Welsh Government to conduct and share with industry a full cost-benefit analysis of this new measure.
"NFU Cymru members are frustrated that once again, we see industry implementing ever tighter and costly protocols in a bid to keep the disease out, but one vector of this disease remains uncontrolled. We have hundreds of farm businesses in Wales living under bTB restrictions and thousands more living with the fear of what their next on-farm TB test will bring. NFU Cymru will continue to work tirelessly for a comprehensive TB eradication strategy for Wales.”
Low TB Area
Pre-Movement Testing reintroduced to the Low TB Area
This means if you farm in the Low TB Area of Wales from 1 February 2024, any cattle or other bovine animals 42 days or older moving from your premises, other than to slaughter,will need to have been tested with negative results within 60 days of the movement. It will be the farmer’s responsibility to book and pay for a pre-movement test with their private vet. Clear pre-movement test results are valid for 60 days from the date of injection of the skin test (30 days for cattle moving to Scotland). Farmers can also move cattle within 60 days that have tested clear at a government funded routine surveillance test such as an annual whole herd test.
The current requirement to post-movement test cattle that have moved into your herd from the high and intermediate TB areas of Wales, the high risk area (HRA) and edge area of England, and from Northern Ireland remains in place. There is no requirement to post-movement test animals moving into your herd from the low TB areas of Wales.
Intermediate TB Area
Post movement testing introduced
This means if you farm in the Intermediate TB Areas (ITBAs) of Wales, all cattle or other bovine animals that move into your herd from the High TB Area of Wales, the High Risk Area of England and from Northern Ireland on or after 1 February 2024 will need a post movement test. This test must be no sooner than 60 days and no later than 120 days after the cattle arrive on your holding. Cattle requiring a post movement may only be moved off your holding before the post movement test in certain limited circumstances, for example, if you want to send the animal to slaughter. It will be the farmer’s responsibility to arrange and pay for the post movement test your own private vet. A government funded routine surveillance test, such as an annual whole herd test, will count as a post movement test provided it is carried out 60 to 120 days after the movement on.
IbTB webpages
From 1 February 2024, information on how long a herd has been officially TB free will be published through the ibTB webpages, https://www.ibtb.co.uk/
Further information outlining the measures introduced on 1 February 2024 are available on the Welsh Government website: Measures from 1 February to help eradicate bovine TB | GOV.WALES