THE Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) has called on the Government to review its TB reactor clearance policy and introduce a speedier marketbased solution.

David Cotton, chairman, believes farmers currently have too long to wait.

Speaking at the Dairy Event and Livestock Show, he said farmers, including himself, were waiting an average of two weeks from receiving test results to removal from the farm by operators managed by the animal health agency.

He said: “During that period these reactor cattle have to be isolated and run the further risk of infecting wildlife.”

RABDF wants farmers to have a choice of disposal through a market-based scheme similar to the collection and disposal service operated by the National Fallen Stock Company.

Mr Cotton said: “Farmers would have access to a list of slaughter premises and hauliers who we would place confidence in to accelerate the current reactor clearance procedure.”

Although the RABDF had welcomed Defra secretary Caroline Spelman’s announcement for an intended licensed badger cull in England it had expressed grave concern that further consultation was required – “no doubt inevitably followed by judicial review,” said Mr Cotton.

“We have to get real. If and when the proposed cull does go ahead, it will be isolated to just two hot spot areas. Depending on its success, it’s going to be at least a further 12 months before we see any vaguely widespread action which takes us to 2013 and beyond.”

He urged farmers to adopt five “essential” measures:

• Adhere to the 60-day premovement testing rule;
• Source all purchased stock from a farm which has no record of reactors in the last two years;
• Isolate all purchased cattle on the oncoming farm for a minimum of four weeks, during which each individual animal’s vaccination programme should be updated;
• Ensure every purchased animal is accompanied by a full health declaration form;
• Take the best possible advice from their vet and consultant.

Keep up to speed with what’s happening to TB control.

Mr Cotton said: “TB remains the biggest concern among all livestock producers throughout the rest of the country, even if they are not in an infected area and it’s stifling their farming businesses.

Of equal concern, TB is spreading like wildfire to other species.”