New workshops to help farmers in bTB battle
"England has the highest incidence of bovine TB in Europe and it is vital we pursue our comprehensive strategy to beat the disease to protect the livelihoods of our beef and dairy farmers."
A series of free, on-farm bovine TB workshops is set to begin this month, Defra has announced.
The sessions will include classroom teaching on the bTB situation in England, control measures, transmission routes and epidemiology. Badger ecology, risk-based training and how to reduce the risk of cattle-to-cattle and badger-to-cattle transmission will also be included.
Following this, participants will be able to apply the knowledge they have gained during an interactive farm walk visiting work stations.
The government's chief veterinary officer Nigel Gibbens said: "Biosecurity is a key part of the government’s 25-year plan to eradicate bovine TB in England and I would encourage farmers who can to sign up for one of these events, which are a great opportunity to hear about measures farmers can take to improve their on-farm biosecurity and build the resilience of their businesses.
"England has the highest incidence of bovine TB in Europe and it is vital we pursue our comprehensive strategy to beat the disease to protect the livelihoods of our beef and dairy farmers.
"Farmers can also access practical guidance to help protect their herds from bovine TB on the TB Hub, which brings together advice on biosecurity from government, farming experts and leading vets in one place."
The first workshop takes place in Shropshire next week (15 November) at Harper Adams University. A further 15 UK events will follow in the coming months.
For further information visit: http://www.farmskills.co.uk/tb-biosecurity-workshops/
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