My dairy farm has been on stop for nearly a year now. This is causing us financial problems. I cannot move or sell my animals. The testing is every 60 days and is taking up a lot of our time and all this becuase we have had just 2 inconclusive cattle which have been found to be clear of TB on postmortem and tissue tests. The tests cause stress to our animals so every time the milk yield drops and we lose more money and our cattle seem to behave oddly just after the test (wobbly) - is this a reaction of whatever is injected into them? We have not received any compensation other than for the 2 cows and the situation is getting desperate for me and many other famers.
Trevor
6 Jan 2011, 7:28 PM
I see in latest issue of Gwlad (Issue 102 January 2011) that one poor farmer has already been forced to lose around £2,700 in compensation as he failed to test in time. There are few details given - which is shame as we do not know if the farmer concerned had genuine reasons which delayed the test. It would seem that a warrant was obtained by Animal Health and the test revealed 'a number of reactors'. The whole article is obviously being used as a veiled threat and an example of what could happen to other farmers who dare to delay their tests - yet more pressure on farmers.
Sally
20 Dec 2010, 6:50 PM
We now have official notification regarding the use of Veterinary Improvement Notices (VINs) in Wales. Animal Health will start using them from 1 January 2011. Yet more expense and more layers of bureaucracy for farmers. A VIN is described as being 'a notice that can be issues to cattle keepers advising them of actions they need to take to help prevent the spread of bovine TB'. They will be used in cases where the Veterinary Inspector thinks that the cattle keeper should do something, or stop doing something, for the purpose of preventing the spread of bTB, including bio-security measures such as protecting boundaries, reducig contact between cattle and badgers, protection of feed stores and 'other' measures. A VIN will be prepared by an Animal Health Veterinary Inspector and then approved by the Animal Health Regional Veterinary lead before being issues to the keeper.
Failure to comply with a VIN may affect the amount of compensation paid out for cattle slaughtered as a result of bTB.
Sally
28 Nov 2010, 6:19 PM
Where will it all end? More pressure on farmers. THE Welsh Assembly Government has issued a reminder of pending on-farm management requirements as part of its on-going campaign to clamp down on bovine TB - including powers to force farmers to take appropriate precautionary actions or risk losing compensation.
Three changes take effect from January 1 that will affect all cattle keepers in Wales - a change in the terminology used in describing the TB status of a herd; a move to a risk-based approach for classifications of TB breakdowns; and implementation of Veterinary Improvement Notices.
on 23/11/10 Rural Affairs Minister, Elin Jones said: “We all want to see an end to the havoc it wreaks on individuals, their businesses and the industry and the changes are being introduced because they will help prevent the spread of the disease.” Does she really care?
From January onwards, following a TB test (or series of tests) a herd will have a status of either, Officially TB Free (OTF); Officially TB Free Suspended (OTFS), or Officially TB Free Withdrawn (OTFW). Apparently research commissioned from the Veterinary Laboratory Agency has identified two factors that significantly increase the risk of the herd having a breakdown in the future. This is why from January onwards a herd with TB skin test reactors that has had its Official TB Free (OTF) status withdrawn in the previous 3 years, or is contiguous to a herd with its OTF status withdrawn will have its OTF status withdrawn and require two clear herd tests to regain OTF status, regardless of the results of post mortem examination or culture.
Since May 1 all cattle herds in the Intensive Action Area experiencing a new TB breakdown have had to have two clear tests in order to become Officially TB Free and have movement restrictions lifted. This will continue.
Veterinary Improvement Notices apply to Wales only and will provide the legal authority to issue cattle keepers with a notice to take action to stop them from potentially spreading TB or face possible cuts to any future TB compensation claim.y?
Sally
28 Nov 2010, 6:19 PM
Where will it all end? More pressure on farmers. THE Welsh Assembly Government has issued a reminder of pending on-farm management requirements as part of its on-going campaign to clamp down on bovine TB - including powers to force farmers to take appropriate precautionary actions or risk losing compensation.
Three changes take effect from January 1 that will affect all cattle keepers in Wales - a change in the terminology used in describing the TB status of a herd; a move to a risk-based approach for classifications of TB breakdowns; and implementation of Veterinary Improvement Notices.
on 23/11/10 Rural Affairs Minister, Elin Jones said: “We all want to see an end to the havoc it wreaks on individuals, their businesses and the industry and the changes are being introduced because they will help prevent the spread of the disease.” Does she really care?
From January onwards, following a TB test (or series of tests) a herd will have a status of either, Officially TB Free (OTF); Officially TB Free Suspended (OTFS), or Officially TB Free Withdrawn (OTFW). Apparently research commissioned from the Veterinary Laboratory Agency has identified two factors that significantly increase the risk of the herd having a breakdown in the future. This is why from January onwards a herd with TB skin test reactors that has had its Official TB Free (OTF) status withdrawn in the previous 3 years, or is contiguous to a herd with its OTF status withdrawn will have its OTF status withdrawn and require two clear herd tests to regain OTF status, regardless of the results of post mortem examination or culture.
Since May 1 all cattle herds in the Intensive Action Area experiencing a new TB breakdown have had to have two clear tests in order to become Officially TB Free and have movement restrictions lifted. This will continue.
Veterinary Improvement Notices apply to Wales only and will provide the legal authority to issue cattle keepers with a notice to take action to stop them from potentially spreading TB or face possible cuts to any future TB compensation claim.y?
Sally (Guest)
29 Jan 2010, 6:49 PM
MPs debated the state of the UK's dairy industry recently (www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmhansrd/cm100127/halltext/100127h0005.htm). There was much said about the TB 'crisis" but little about the personal suffering to farmers. It was disheartening to read about the problems. Are farmers coming out of farming and sons and daughters refusing to take over because of the increasingly time consuming and difficult bureaucracy involved and this includes the existing system of testing for bTB. Is this is what is really killing the dairy industry?
