Welsh farmers urged to prepare for new BVD rules
© Adobe Stock Welsh farmers are being urged to ensure they comply with new bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) testing requirements ahead of further regulations coming into force on 1 July.
BVD is one of the most significant infectious diseases affecting cattle in Wales, reducing fertility, productivity and calf performance while increasing vulnerability to other illnesses.
Welsh government estimates suggest it can cost £4,500 a year in a 100-cow beef herd and more than £15,000 annually in a typical dairy herd.
See also: BVD movement restrictions to start in Northern Ireland
The new measures form the next phase of Wales’ industry-led BVD eradication programme, building on legislation introduced in 2024 that requires all cattle keepers to complete an annual BVD screening test.
Keeping up pace
A Welsh government spokesman said officials were continuing to work with the cattle sector, markets, farming unions and vets to support the programme.
“BVD in Wales has been identified as a priority by Welsh farmers and eradicating the disease will see meaningful improvement to animal health and welfare and the Welsh rural economy,” the spokesman said.
John Griffiths, chairman of BVD Cymru’s industry-led steering group, said Wales needed to keep pace with neighbouring countries.
“Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland are getting rid of BVD, and we need to get rid of it too. There is, of course, a balance of pain and gain as to how fast we progress,” he said.
He encouraged farmers to work with their vets to eliminate the disease from their herds.
New rules from 1 July 2026
Additional controls will apply to herds classified as “not negative” (NN).
- Cattle leaving NN herds must have a negative pre-movement virus test carried out by a vet.
- Herds may be classed as NN if they have evidence of BVD exposure, contain persistently infected (PI) animals, or have not completed annual screening requirements.
- Cattle entering a herd with an unknown BVD status may require post-movement testing.
- All calves born into NN herds must be tested for BVD.
PI animals must remain isolated, be housed indoors, cannot be sold to other farms, and may only move direct to slaughter.
The changes coincide with the rollout of the EIDCymru/MultiSpecies Wales database, which will integrate BVD status and testing information more closely with cattle movement records.
Industry response
NFU Cymru president Abi Reader said eradicating BVD remained “the right objective” for the Welsh cattle industry, while FUW policy officer Elin Jenkins described the new phase as “another important step on the journey towards BVD freedom”.
However, campaign group Digon yw Digon has called for the changes to be delayed, arguing that additional support should be available for herd tracing and disease control measures.