Responding to the announcement NFU Cymru TB Focus Group Chairman Roger Lewis said: “This is welcome news and a significant win for NFU Cymru, we have long been calling for an extension to the TB isolation unit (TBIU) filling period. We’ve been working with the NFU, Defra, Welsh Government, APHA and the wider supply chain on securing this change so it’s great to see our work come to fruition.
Win-win
“Increasing the filling period for isolation units is win-win, it will not only make these units more economically viable for their operators, but it will also help ease the burden on TB restricted farms. We hope this change encourages more people to set up these bio-secure units. This change will benefit the productivity and efficiency of the whole supply chain, which is good news for the carbon footprint of our Welsh beef and dairy products.”
What this means for farmers
Farms operating under TB restrictions can move animals off infected holdings and into a TBIU. TBIUs operate to strict biosecurity standards and are effectively stocked and then ‘sealed’ until a period of repeat testing is complete, which allows the animals to regain their TB free status to be sold or to go to slaughter. TBIUs can source cattle under licence from a single TB restricted holding. TBIUs can only be approved or re-approved on officially TB free holdings and in Wales, grazing is not permitted.
These units provide an important outlet for calves or store cattle from TB restricted holdings that do not have sufficient rearing facilities. This policy change will allow greater flexibility to take advantage of calving patterns to ensure the maximum number of animals can be received from one source. This will not only allow calves to reach a more resilient age before movement, but it will also reduce disease pressure and overstocking on source farms already experiencing a TB breakdown.
NFU Cymru work
NFU Cymru has been working alongside industry stakeholders as part of the GB Calf Strategy with the long-standing aim of increasing access for TB restricted cattle into licensed TB units. Ensuring these units are efficient and economically viable is vital to their success and means there are more options available for farmers operating under TB restrictions.
TBIU terms and conditions, including details on how to apply, can be found on the Government website. Further information on the Welsh Government website Bovine TB | Sub-topic | GOV.WALES and TB hub will be updated in due course to reflect this change.