UK: Welsh farmers remain frustrated over Bovine Viral Diarrhoea legislation delay

Welsh farmers have welcomed recognition that a national co-ordination is required for BVD eradication, but stress that moves toward a legislative approach must be expedited or current gains would be lost. The need for a Wales-wide legislative approach to BVD control was outlined in a recent written statement by the Welsh government. The Minister for Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths, said that a national co-ordination was required for widespread BVD eradication. Wales' previous Gwaredu BVD scheme, which launched in 2017 but ended in December 2022, had seen over 83% of the cattle herds screened for BVD. The voluntary programme had identified over 1,000 Persistently Infected (PI) animals in Wales. However, the Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW) has warned that any gains made during the voluntary phase could be lost if there was a significant gap between the end of Gwaredu BVD and the onset of new legislation. “The FUW has been clear that a ‘no-gap’ scenario is the best and most efficient ...