Industry concerns over a lengthy bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) legislative transition phase in Wales appear warranted, according to testing submissions data.
Following the cessation of free youngstock blood testing under the Gwaredu BVD programme in 2022, the industry expressed concern that the onset of legislation should be expediated or gains made under the programme would be lost.
The Wales Veterinary Science Centre (WVSC) said that despite such assertations, changes in larger farm policy areas have eclipsed such expedience and the current lack of momentum should therefore be of concern.
According to data from the WVSC, BVD testing submissions this year are some 83% less than the number of submissions in the last year of the Gwaredu BVD scheme.
Similarly, a comparison of submissions from Jan-April in 2023 with the same period in 2024 also show a significant decline of 33%.
The Gwaredu BVD scheme saw more than 85% of cattle herds in Wales screened for the disease, with more than 1000 Persistently Infected animals identified.
According to data obtained from Gwaredu BVD, at the end of the voluntary programme more than 2,000 farms tested were unable to demonstrate BVD negative antibodies and would have been placed under restriction under a legislative framework.
Dr Hazel Wright, WVSC centre manager, said the lack of testing submissions to the WVSC during the current gap should be of significant concern to the industry.
She said: "There is currently no way of demonstrating how many farms would now be placed under restriction following the intervening 2 years of significantly reduced testing.
“The WVSC is therefore urging cattle keepers to continue surveillance testing for BVD. This will help avoid the perfect storm of a testing bottleneck at the onset of legislation and the proliferation of BVD within and between herds whilst we wait for legislation."
