News

Farmers need to be aware of changes to Bovine TB rules

Posted 15/09/2014

New rules concerning Bovine TB are coming and farmers need to be aware of them in order to be fully compliant with legislation. That's the view from a recent meeting held by the Glamorgan NFU Cymru which discussed the new rules coming into effect after the end of September.

From the beginning of October onwards, cattle will need to have a negative pre-movement TB test before they can be moved within a sole occupancy authority (SOA). Farmers who have an Interim Land Association Management agreement do not need to have the test.

Abi Reader, County Chairman of Glamorgan NFU Cymru, expressed concern that some farmers may not be able to be compliant for the changes: "I’m particularly concerned for those farmers who keep cattle on rented summer grazing land where there may be a lack of suitable and safe cattle handling facilities to carry out TB tests. For some farmers in this situation it may be prudent to return cattle to the main farm holding before the end of September in order to avoid the new requirements to pre-movement test which will now come into effect from 1 October."