A new project is being launched at this year’s Royal Welsh Show that aims to support Welsh farmers in eradicating bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) in cattle.
The project is funded by the Welsh Government’s Rural Development Programme and all cattle farms in Wales are eligible to be part of the project irrespective of size.
Coleg Sir Gâr’s Agriculture Resource Centre is managing the project in partnership with the Royal Veterinary College and in particular Dr Neil Paton – lecturer in farm animal health and production - who has played a significant part in its development and is the project’s Veterinary Technical lead.
BVD is a viral and immunosuppressive disease maintained by a small population of animals that become persistently infected and are a risk to the health of the rest of the herd. This affects the farm’s production system in terms of cost and animal welfare issues that can lead to pneumonia, scour, infertility and reproductive disorders.
John Griffiths, Agriculture Resource Centre manager based at Coleg Sir Gâr’s Gelli Aur campus who is also chair of Wales Animal Health and Welfare Framework’s BVD eradication sub-group, said: “This new voluntary disease eradication programme will be conducted alongside Wales’s annual herd TB testing regime to help identify herds infected with BVD. Support will also be available to locate the PI animals from infected herds.
“The testing phase will continue over a three year period when complete we’ll hopefully be in an improved position with regards to BVD in Wales with the aim of making Wales BVD free.”
The new project, entitled Animal Health & Welfare Wales - Eradicating Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) in Wales, will be officially announced at this year’s Royal Welsh Show.