Eradicating BVD in England

The Ruminant Health and Welfare body has faced significant challenges in eradicating bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) in England. With Scotland, Northern Ireland and now Wales making substantial progress, it is time for England to act and catch up. This has been a source of frustration for many progressive farmers who have already controlled the disease on their farms. Despite their efforts, the Defra Pathway programme is introducing another two-year voluntary scheme. Many in the industry believe that the work done by BVD Free England, CHECS and others over the years has already taken the voluntary approach as far as it can go.

However, the co-design expert group, comprising industry and government representatives, suggested that an additional two years of funded action would be highly beneficial. This extended support would cover testing and veterinary time, strengthen the farmer-veterinary partnership in implementing biosecurity measures and provide an opportunity for those who have yet to begin this journey to access funding to work towards achieving BVD-free status on their farms.