Welsh bovine TB pilots extended after early success

Two bovine TB projects involving 28 farms and 12 veterinary practices are being extended in Wales after trialling herd-level measures including tighter biosecurity, changes to cattle purchasing and the voluntary removal of high-risk animals.

The pilots are operating in Pembrokeshire and North Wales and are designed around farmers and vets working together to identify risks within individual herds.

Supported by Aberystwyth University, the projects are testing tailored approaches intended to reduce TB risk, improve biosecurity and protect farm businesses from future breakdowns.

The Welsh Government announced the extension on 11 August as Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability Llyr Gruffydd met participants at the Anglesey Agricultural Show.

On participating farms, changes have been made to herd husbandry, management practices, cattle purchasing and biosecurity.

Farmers and vets are also sharing information and using herd-level data to decide where further action may be needed.

That has included the voluntary removal of animals considered to pose a higher TB risk as a preventative measure.

The approach centres on identifying risks within individual herds and agreeing tailored actions, rather than applying a single package of measures across every farm.

The Welsh Government described the projects as successful, although the announcement did not provide figures showing changes in TB incidence, breakdowns or cattle removals on participating farms.

Officials said elements of the approach had also attracted interest outside Wales, including references in the Godfray bovine TB evidence review and Northern Ireland’s TB strategy.

Gruffydd said the impact of bovine TB extends well beyond the direct financial cost to farm businesses.

“TB is a dark shadow over the family farm, not only the financial aspects though of course that’s important, but the strain and anxiety the disease causes,” he said.

He said the projects showed the value of farmers, vets, researchers, APHA and government working together to tackle the disease.

Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales Dr Richard Irvine said collaboration at herd and local level was central to the approach.

“Both projects clearly show farmers and vets developing herd-level and local TB actions together – to reduce TB risks in affected herds, and to keep the disease out,” he said.

Evidence from the extended pilots will also feed into the Welsh Government’s planned refresh of its bovine TB eradication programme, giving the projects significance beyond the farms currently taking part.

Irvine said the continued work would help shape future policy.

“Findings from the continued work of these projects will also help inform work to refresh the TB eradication programme in Wales,” he added.

The extended pilots will now provide further evidence on whether tailored herd-level measures can reduce TB risk and help inform the next phase of Wales’ wider eradication strategy.