NFUS caught on the hop over BVD testing deadline

The Scottish Government has announced its timetable for eliminating Bovine Viral Diarrhoea, with the initial screening of all breeding cows in the country starting this December.

According to rural affairs secretary Richard Lochhead, all herds will have to be tested by 30 November, 2012.

After that point, herd owners will only be able to sell cattle from herds where there is infection if they are individually tested and free of BVD, or if they are going direct to slaughter.

This last point seemed to catch the National farmers Union of Scotland off guard as president Nigel Miller said there seemed to be a "disconnect between what was agreed with the industry and the government's announcement.

"The principles of the scheme are correct, but this needs to be a step-by-step process."

Miller added the union wanted to focus on the permanently infected animals that can transmit the disease without showing any symptoms of it.

This invisible transmission is one of the main reasons for making the scheme countrywide.

The problem for the union was that while it supported the scheme, the government seemsto have jumped several steps ahead to a point where it will restrict movements from whole herds where any infection has been found.

Miller stated that he would be seeking clarification as to whether there had been a change in government policy, or whether it was just a mix up in communications.

BVD is highly-infectious and causes wasting and loss of productivity in mild cases, but severe infections can prove fatal.

Trial work on eradicating the disease started last winter with the Scottish Government providing 160,000 to help 3,500 farmers carry out preliminary testing.