CHECS rolls out new membership to tackle bovine TB
10 May 2021 |
Under the new initiative, farmers can adopt a baseline standard of ‘no regrets’ biosecurity measures
CHECS is rolling out a new UK-wide TB Entry Level Membership, with a focus on biosecurity ‘basics’ to help farmers reduce the risk of TB breakdowns in herds.
The cattle health regulatory body launched its TB Herd Accreditation in 2016 to help farmers protect herds against the disease, but tough requirements had limited take-up.
Following Defra s response to the Bovine TB Strategy (Godfray) Review in March 2020, CHECS and the British Cattle Veterinary Association (BVCA) developed the new TB Entry Level Membership
The focus is on biosecurity basics CHECS is focussing on biosecurity basics to help farmers reduce the risk of bovine TB (bTB) in its new TB Entry Level Membership. bTB is the UK’s most challenging animal health and welfare issue, costing farms around £18,600 per breakdown and in some cases more. “Farmers often think that TB is uncontrollable, but biosecurity is a key tool in tackling it,” says Keith Cutler MRCVS, chair of the CHECS technical committee. “It is far more than just having a boot dip on the yard; but it can be easily implemented and doesn’t have to be expensive.”