NFU highlights bluetongue pressures during ministerial visit
NFU President Tom Bradshaw discusses the impact of bluetongue with Farming Minister Stephen Morgan and NFU members during a farm visit in Cornwall.
NFU President Tom Bradshaw and members used a visit from Farming Minister Stephen Morgan to highlight the growing impact of bluetongue on livestock farms, urging action on vaccine supply, testing capacity and support for affected businesses.
The clear message from both industry and government was the importance of vaccination.
Farmers were urged to place firm vaccine orders through their vets and continue vaccinating animals, even where bluetongue is present, as not every midge carries the virus and not every animal will be exposed.
Financial pressures
Discussions focused on both the practical and financial pressures facing livestock farmers, including concerns over BTV vaccine availability, testing capacity, delays to fallen stock collections and the burden of reporting requirements.
Members stressed that delays of up to six days for fallen stock collections both risked the disease spreading and created cashflow pressures for affected farms.
“This animal virus is doing untold damage across the south west and spreading across the country, and the severity has shocked everyone because of the incredible temperatures. We were joined by APHA and have asked for the vaccine to made available as quickly as possible, testing and reporting to be streamlined and a fallen stock fund to cover the cost of carcass disposal.”
NFU President Tom Bradshaw
Dutch approach to disease management
Head of exotic disease control in Defra, Gordon Hickman indicated that alternative approaches to reporting ear tags could be explored after members said reporting was very slow and stressful.
He also suggested adopting aspects of the Dutch disease management model, which relies more on veterinary confirmation of clinical signs than testing to speed up disease confirmation and response.
The Minister acknowledged the challenges facing farmers and highlighted recent government announcements on drought support, including funding for reservoirs and SFI (Sustainable Farming Incentive) measures.
He also committed to looking at concerns raised around testing capacity, fallen stock arrangements and access to financial support.
What the NFU is calling for
The NFU will continue to press for practical measures that reduce costs and bureaucracy for farmers while supporting effective control of the disease.
