THE COMING year could be crucial for Scotland's ambitious plans to eradicate the costly production disease BVD.
Testing for the disease is already an annual requirement for Scottish cattle keepers and it is illegal to knowingly sell any animal persistently infected (PI) with the disease. From next summer, movement restrictions will be placed on farms that do not have a valid 'negative' status for the disease.
NFU Scotland is reminding all producers to ensure that their herd's Bovine Viral Diarrhoea status is up-to-date and that testing on an annual basis has been maintained.
For those running herds currently designated 'not negative', now is the time to work with vets towards achieving a negative status to avoid being caught up in restrictions that bring additional testing requirements next year.
NFUS president Nigel Millersaid: "There remains a real desire amongst the vast majority of cattle keepers in Scotland to see us make genuine progress towards eradicating this costly disease from our herds.
"The high level of testing carried out and the disease levels found suggest that eradication is well within our grasp.
"More than 87% of Scottish herds are already designated BVD negative under the Scottish scheme.
"The message for those whose herds are 'not negative' is that phase four is designed to close down potential infection in such herds and the new requirements have teeth.
"From June 2015 onwards, the Scottish Government plans to place 'not negative' herds under movement restrictions. Unless destined for slaughter, all animals in such herds must be tested individually and be found to be BVD virus negative prior to movement.
"With the change in rules, it is likely that tissue tag testing will become routine in 'not negative' herds, bringing Scotland in line with the Irish eradication programme.
"Producers with 'not negative' herds and who are not already working with their vets on an action plan, should do so now.
"Achieving a negative BVD status before the summer will avoid the herd being caught up in the restrictions and additional testing requirements.
"As we move to the next phase, it is worth reminding all cattle keepers to work with their vets and keep their testing status up-to-date. Allowing annual checks to slip further than 13 months will also trigger movement restrictions until testing is carried out.
"It must also be borne in mind that it is now a legal requirement that animals known to be persistently infected with the disease are not traded and can only move direct to slaughter.
"Stopping the movement of these highly infectious beasts is crucial to halting the spread of disease."
For in-depth news and views on Scottish agriculture, see this Friday's issue of The Scottish Farmer or visit www.thescottishfarmer.co.uk
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