The meeting involved the British Cattle Veterinary Association, British Veterinary Association, Country Land and Business Association, Farmers For Action, Livestock Auctioneers’ Association, National Beef Association, NFU, Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers and Tenant Farmers Association.
Following the meeting, the group said: “There is broad agreement between the farming industry and the veterinary profession on the approach the next government should take on bovine TB and other cattle diseases. This agreement will be presented to the next government as a top priority.”
The three main strands are:
Key farming and veterinary bodies support the comprehensive 25-year bovine TB eradication strategy published in April 2014. These organisations want to see the creation of a TB Eradication Board for England - comprising suitably qualified representatives from the farming industry, the veterinary profession and government - charged with strategic leadership, communication, technical capability and oversight of delivery, reporting directly to the Defra Secretary of State.
A nationwide TB Advisory Service as part of the Rural Development Programme, giving advice and training to farmers on how to deal with the consequences of the disease or help them remain disease free.
The creation of an industry-led non-government body - Animal Health England - with the mission of improving the cattle health status of the country by tackling non-statutory diseases, such as bovine viral diarrhea, Johne’s disease and infectious bovine rhinotracheitis.