TB compensation cuts for farms with ‘risky practices’

Farmers in Wales who are judged to be undertaking “risky practices” which contribute to the spread of TB will have their compensation payments reduced, the Welsh government has confirmed.

This will include farmers who legally restock by bringing in animals under licence to a herd that is under TB restriction or where producers allow animals to stray.

Rebecca Evans, deputy minister for farming and food, said she had considered responses to the consultation on proposals to amend the Tuberculosis (Wales) Order 2010 and decided that a change in the legislation was the right way forward.

See also: TB eradication target underestimated by government

“After careful consideration I have decided to change our legislation to introduce measures which will penalise people who are undertaking risky practices which can contribute to the spread of TB and jeopardise the success the TB Eradication Programme,” she said.

“The new legislation will provide us with the powers to reduce compensation for those people who have broken the rules.”

The proposal to reduce payments to people deemed to be jeopardising efforts to tackle TB was first put forward in a consultation paper issued in the autumn of last year.

Farmers can already see their payments reduced if they have failed to carry out their TB test on time, ignored the requirements of a Veterinary Improvement Notice or breached the terms of the order.

The government said it wanted to expand the circumstances in which payments could be reduced, by as much as 95% of market value, to include:

  • where the conditions set out in the approval of an Approved Finishing Unit have not been followed
  • an animal has been slaughtered because of TB after it had been brought in, under licence, to a restricted herd
  • an animal under movement restrictions has been moved without a licence
  • an animal under movement restrictions has been allowed, or not prevented from being able, to stray

The government said where people under TB movement restrictions were allowed to restock, it was right they shared the financial risk of bringing a healthy animal into a herd with a known TB problem.

But is has pledged that the penalty that is applied will be “proportionate”.

In response to the consultation, NFU Cymru said reducing compensation to 5% of market value in the event that an animal was subsequently slaughtered because of TB before the herd becomes officially TB free would be “hugely draconian”.

The Farmers Union of Wales (FUW) argued that the proposal could place farmers who were already adhering to the conditions of an already restrictive licence – itself designed to minimise risk – in an untenable position financially.

However, the British Veterinary Authority indicated it was supportive of the concept.

The Welsh g overnment has said legislation would be drafted over the coming months and officials would engage with the farming industry to discuss any practical issues and communicate these changes before they come in to force.

Ms Evans said the rule change would not affect the vast majority of farmers who abided by the rules and were working to help eradicate the disease.

“I expect that in the vast majority of cases full compensation based on market value will continue to be paid.”