The TB Advisory Service

The TB Advisory Service has been established to provide bespoke advice to cattle farmers in the High Risk and Edge Areas of England on measures that can be taken to help reduce the risk and impact of bTB. The service, which is fully funded through the Rural Development Programme for England, will deliver:

• On-farm advice visits to 2,400 cattle keepers
• One-to-one advisory sessions (by telephone or drop-in service) to 1,950 farmers

If you are concerned about the impact of bTB on your farming business, please contact the TB Advisory Service call 01306 779410 or email [email protected].

 

[Chris F]

This Free service has been set up to enable cattle keepers to access specialist advice on building resilience to bovine tuberculosis (bTB). The service is fully-funded by Defra through the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE), and is available to farmers in the High Risk and Edge areas of England. Eligible farmers will receive bespoke advice on biosecurity and the risks associated with cattle movements and trading. Funding has been secured to provide on-farm advice visits to 2,400 businesses over a three year period, along with a telephone advice service for farmers with specific questions relating to bTB.

The service is being delivered by trained consultants from ADAS, Kingshay and Westpoint Farm Vets, overseen by a Technical Board comprising experts in the field of bTB. The consultants will be available to give advice on all aspects of TB, including badger ecology, biosecurity, building design and trading options. Where farmers are currently free of bTB, advice will focus on the steps available to protect from disease incursions. For farms under TB restrictions, advice on trading options will be available, both on and off the holding, together with measures to prevent repeated reinfection of cattle.

The Origin Group are responsible for the overall management of the project, and Matt Dobbs MRCVS, the Project Director believes the service will make a real impact on farmers living with, or under threat from, bTB. Matt has stated that ‘Whilst statutory TB controls are provided by government, there are a number of things farmers can do to reduce the risk and impact of bTB. By bringing together experts in all relevant fields, including those with direct experience of the effects of bTB, we can ensure that the advice given to farmers is bespoke, up to date, and proven to reduce the risk of spreading bTB. This service will deliver tailored, practical, risk-based advice to farmers giving them clear, economic, agreed upon interventions to help tackle this disease, all at no cost to the farmer.’

If you would like to register for the service, please email [email protected] or call 01306 779410. Further information can be found at tbas.org.uk or on Facebook & Twitter.

Please note - We will require your SBI & CPH number and for on farm visits you will be required to sign a privacy notice.