Lack of disease controls ruining UK cattle industry

UK cattle farmers must take firmer control of cattle disease if they are to remain competitive and secure future markets, domestically and overseas, for produce and breeding stock.

This is the stark warning from Cattle Health Certification Standards (CHeCS), the body set up by the industry in 1999 to regulate UK cattle health certification schemes. It says that unless more decisive, joined up action is taken, producers could see reduced marketing and export opportunities within a few years.

CHeCS executive director Tim Brigstocke explains that although steady progress has been made standardising schemes and improving effectiveness of how individual initiatives operate, only 15% of cattle in the British Isles are currently covered by one CHeCS-endorsed scheme or another. Furthermore, diseases such as Johne’s and BVD remain largely unmanaged.

“The UK is seen as the ‘dirty man of cattle disease control’ both within Europe and globally, a reputation we have failed to shake off since the days of the BSE crisis,” says Mr Brigstocke.

“The industry must come together and work on reducing endemic infection in UK dairy and beef herds if we want to be competitive and project a positive image, both here for our domestic market and when selling overseas. Other countries have simply overtaken us and this will soon start to affect our markets. For example, disease-free countries only want to import from other disease-free countries; the UK simply cannot claim to be that.”

There are eight CHeCS-accredited schemes already in place in the UK, covering the four most important non-statutory diseases: Johne’s Disease, IBR, BVD and Leptospirosis, with more in the process of being added. One of the most pressing requirements, says Mr Brigstocke, is that the UK industry is proactive in bringing all remaining existing schemes together.

“The good news is we don’t need to reinvent to wheel. We already have CHeCS as a central, industry-run body which can expand to accommodate and co-ordinate more schemes and diseases, in much the same way as Animal Health Ireland has successfully done. If we get the industry behind us there are very tangible benefits ahead; for example, the UK could be BVD-free in two years if we all work together.”

Many breed societies have already benefited from taking a tighter rein on disease, such as The Beef Shorthorn Society whose sales only accept animals from farms participating in a CHeCS-accredited scheme.

Frank Milnes, secretary of the Society, says: “It is important for all cattle owners to be aware of the impact disease can have on the profitability of their business, and even more important that breeders of pedigree cattle should only offer for sale animals of a known high health status. This can only be achieved through membership of an accredited health scheme which ensures consistency of testing, monitoring and reporting of disease status.”