Welsh to sell off bluetongue vaccine

The Welsh Assembly is set to sell off 5.25m unused doses of bluetongue vaccine to other EU countries.

The vaccine to protect stock against the BTV 8 virus strain was bought by the assembly last year, but farmers decided not to make use of it.

Dai Davies, NFU Cymru president, is now warning that future vaccine availability would be entirely dependent on market forces.

He forecast that the cost of jabs could rise by 10-15% after the sell off of existing stock.

“Our message to livestock keepers has always been not to be complacent about the threat this disease poses to their livestock,” Mr Davies said.

“But it is important that they consider their decision carefully now, before it is too late. The opportunity is now available to vaccinate stock at a time that suits their business, and before the weather warms up and midge activity increases.

“We have only to look at France to realise the devastation this disease can cause, with over 24,000 cases of BTV-8 last year.

“There remains as serious risk of disease entering this country through wind-borne incursion or through imports of animals. I am urging all Welsh farmers to vaccinate.”

Mr Davies said Elin Jones, assembly rural affairs minister, who made it clear last autumn that she was not prepared to use her budget to cover the cost of unsold vaccine, had been told that it was not feasible to extend the shelf life of stockpiled vaccine.

As there had been no sales of vaccine yet this year in Wales, he suggested that a decision had to be taken in the next few weeks whether to sell off the remaining stock to other EU member states.