Read the NFU consultation response (login to access)
Currently English deer farmers and their vets have to consult three separate Orders to understand what they need to do when TB affects a deer herd. The proposal consolidates these Orders into one document without making any substantive change to present arrangements.
The proposal also provides the opportunity to introduce a statutory TB compensation scheme for camelids and statutory slaughter arrangements.
In 2008, non-statutory slaughter arrangements were introduced as a temporary measure where payment made to camelid keepers to removed animals suspected to be infected with TB.
Research has shown that the tuberculin skin test used on camelids is only moderately successful in detecting animals infected with the bovine TB. The sensitivity of detection of the bacterium can be dramatically increased toapproximately 80 per cent by using a combination of two antibody (blood) tests in parallel interpretation. It is proposed to introduce administrative changes in the testing regime of TB-infected camelid herds and other at-risk herds to reflect this new situation.
Rob Harrison, NFU national dairy board chair said: "Farmers are going to great lengths to prevent the spread of bovine tb and are all too aware of its devastating impact on their herds. An effective strategy must include surveillance measures for camelids and other non bovine species. Our response challenges Defra to address the disease in some of the most susceptible species and we believe that this is the first important step in preventing further spread of disease and in the effort to achieve TB eradication."