TB eradication drive 'making headway'

MINISTER HAILS 'REAL CHANGES'TO TACKLE DISEASE AND SUPPORT FARMERS

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WALES is making headway in its TB Eradication Programme through a strengthened partnership approach that is delivering positive changes in government policy for farmers while tackling the disease.

Ahead of his update to Senedd Members this week, Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, said: "Our partnership approach with the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) and Programme Board is delivering real changes that help both tackle the disease and support farmers through difficult times.

"I've seen first-hand the distress TB causes farming families and businesses and I'm keen we take steps to address it."

Reviewing the on-farm slaughter policy was the Technical Advisory Group's (TAG’s) first priority.

Feedback on the policy change has been positive with a number of farmers choosing to delay slaughter of eligible cattle.

Since the introduction of the new policy a year ago, on-farm slaughter has been avoided through agreed delayed removal of approximately a quarter of the animals - 242, from 111 individual herds which would previously have been slaughtered on farm.