Members of the focus group were able to explain to officials in the meeting their first-hand experience of dispatching TB reactors on farm and highlighted the impact the experience has on farmers and their families across Wales.
Stress and emotional turmoil
The NFU Cymru member survey on bovine TB, which was completed by over 500 farmers across Wales in July 2023, further evidenced this with respondents detailing the substantial amount of stress and emotional turmoil experienced. The focus group also highlighted its concerns for health and safety on farm and the risks that on farm slaughter and the subsequent deadstock can pose to all involved. Although most of the discussion related to the on-farm slaughter of heavily pregnant animals, it did also touch on other reasons TB reactors may be dispatched on farm including
where they are within drug withdrawal periods.
Five recommendations
As a result of this discussion NFU Cymru has submitted five recommendations to Welsh Government which include:
• Giving farmers the same option as is available in England where the farmer, in agreement with the private vet and APHA, and subject to a strict set of conditions, can delay slaughter until after calving.
• Where delaying slaughter is not an option for whatever reason, Welsh Government should look at how additional resource, for example additional knackermen, could be used to minimise the role a farmer has to play in the on-farm slaughter of TB reactors.
• APHA should be given the flexibility to work with farmers and private vets to look for opportunities to reduce on-farm slaughter on a case-by-case basis.
• Many of the animals that are slaughtered on farm due to being within a drug withdrawal period will be fit to travel but they cannot enter the food chain. Welsh Government should look at whether there is an opportunity for these animals to be collected / delivered and slaughtered centrally as opposed to being dispatched on farm.
• Best practise could be promoted about better timing of routine treatments (e.g. worming) around TB testing windows but it must be noted some treatments are time critical or emergency and it may be difficult to do this where a farm is under TB restrictions so subject to regular testing.
Technical Advisory Group
These recommendations have now been submitted to Welsh Government for the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on bTB, which the First Minister and Rural Affairs Minister announced they were appointing on Tuesday 27 February 2024 to consider. The TAG will review the NFU Cymru submission alongside other evidence, before making its final recommendations to the Minister and Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales.
NFU Cymru has encouraged Welsh Government to make immediate changes to this policy and stands ready to further engage with offcials and the TAG on this important issue.