The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) is calling on the Welsh Government to undertake a review of the costs and administrative burdens placed upon livestock keepers resulting from the current TB testing regime in Wales. The call follows an announcement by the Minister for Rural Affairs which outlined additional testing requirements for the Low and Intermediate risk areas of Wales.

The changes come as part of the 5 year Delivery Plan published earlier this year.

The Farmers’ Union of Wales is urging its members to be extremely vigilant following the confirmation of a single case of Bluetongue virus 3 (BTV 3) in a cow on premises in Kent near Canterbury, England on Saturday 11 November 2023.

BTV is a notifiable exotic disease that infects ruminants, such as sheep and cattle, and is transmitted by biting midge which are most active between the months of April and November. 

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has responded with concern to the announcement of a live export ban as part of the King’s Speech, which set out the government’s priorities to introduce the Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill and Trade (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Bill. 

The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill is set to introduce a legislative ban on the live export of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and horses for slaughter or fattening from Great Britain.

Antibiotic use in UK livestock continues to fall

The UK Veterinary Medicines Directorate has published its UK-Veterinary Antibiotic Resistance Sales and Surveillance report for 2022.

Sales of veterinary antibiotics for use in food-producing animals, adjusted for animal population, were 25.7 mg/kg in 2022 which is a 9% (2.6mg/kg) decrease since 2021 and an overall 59% (36.6mg/kg) decrease since 2014.