Tougher penalties for late bTB tests
CAP payments will be reduced by 1 to 5 per cent if TB tests are overdue.
From the start of the new year, farmers who fail to complete their bovine TB tests on time will face tough new penalties, Defra has announced.
Cattle farmers who receive Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments will see these reduced by 1 to 5 per cent if their TB tests are overdue. The move is part of the government's plans to eradicate the disease.
Currently, farmers' CAP payments are reduced if they are late for TB surveillance and check tests, but from January 1, 2015, this will be extended to most other types of TB test. Excluded from this rule are tests to trace trace animals as a result of a TB breakdown elsewhere.
CAP payments will be reduced by 1 per cent if testing is one to 10 days late, 3 per cent if it is 11 to 30 days overdue, or 5 per cent for delays of more than 30 days.
In addition to this, Defra will introduce six-monthly surveillance checks in parts of Cheshire included in the TB edge area. This will replace the annual herd test and radial testing.
For more information, visit Defra's website.
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
