TB pressure grows on DEFRA

THE NATIONAL Federation of Badger Groups is seeking compulsory pre-movement testing for cattle.

It has called on the government to implement proposals for compulsory pre-movement testing following a report that said it could reduce bovine tuberculosis in the national cattle herd.

The report, published by DEFRA on Wed, (Jun 1) suggested that compulsory pre-movement testing of all cattle aged over 15-months from herds currently subjected to one and two year routine testing could add a net benefit for both the industry and the taxpayer.

The report then recommended reviewing the scheme after the initial year to include all cattle over six weeks of age. 

However, there are a number of cases when cattle would be exempted from the compulsory test, for example, those going direct to slaughter and those from herds under three and four year testing regimes.

The NFBG believes the report adds significantly to a report published in the science journal Nature on May 25 which found cattle movements, more than any other factor, were the primary reason behind the spread of the disease.

Elaine King, chief executive of the NFBG said: “The pre-movement testing of cattle is good news for taxpayers and could save them around £7.6m in compensation payments to farmers if the measures are properly enforced.

“The proposals are also good news for the majority of farmers whose herds are unaffected by bTB and wish them to remain so.”

However, the NFBG is astonished that the working group rejected the introduction of the gamma interferon TB test, alongside the traditional skin test.

The working group believes that gamma interferon does not yet offer a “suitable, more rigorous alternative to the bTB skin test” but the NFBG believes this contradicts earlier recomendations to DEFRA to expand its usage.

“Gamma interferon is being successfully used in Australasia, Europe and the USA,” said Dr King.

“There is no excuse for not implementing the test in Britain. We believe that a tight-fisted Treasury rather than scientific wisdom is behind the decision to leave this TB cure on the shelf,” added Dr King.