Rural affairs minister Elin Jones has announced that, to continue to identify and remove all sources of infection, all cattle in Wales will be tested for bovine TB in 2010.

The minister reported to last week’s rural development sub-committee that Health Check Wales, a 15-month initiative to test all cattle herds in Wales which ends in December, is proving successful in identifying and removing disease more quickly. The new TB testing regime will apply while data from Health Check Wales is analysed.

Dai Davies, Carmarthenshire dairy farmer and president of NFU Cymru, welcomed the minister’s decision.

He said: “We have known all along that there would be elements of the bTB eradication strategy in Wales that would be painful for the industry to bear. Health Check Wales has already identified 77 reactor herds which would probably not yet have been identified had it not been for this initiative. I believe that it is a sensible approach to repeat the testing regime across all bovine herds in Wales next year. “All herds in Wales will now also have to comply with pre-movement testing requirements. This will clearly add significantly to the industry’s costs and the demands on the industry in management terms, but I would hope that this will be regarded by the Welsh Assembly as a temporary measure until such time as it can establish whether pre-movement testing is making a meaningful contribution to the reduction of this devastating disease.”

The minister also announced that, in future, the Welsh Assembly will not be calculating bovine TB testing intervals on a parish level.

She said: “I have made clear from the outset that the success of the TB eradication programme depends on a comprehensive approach which tackles all sources of infection.

“Next year, all herds in Wales will move to an annual testing interval and will need to comply with pre-movement testing requirements. This will reduce the risk of disease spread through cattle movements while we analyse the full results of the TB Health Check Wales.

“I realise that the change to annual testing and pre-movement testing across Wales will have an impact on how farmers manage their businesses.

“When I announced the TB eradication programme in April 2008, I stressed that it will only work if all those involved are willing to play their part. I hope by announcing annual testing, farmers and vets can make plans now for the future.”

Mr Davies added: “I am aware that the testing for bTB on a parish has given rise to some very significant anomalies in the past which should now be obviated by this decision.

“We have recognised all along that the bTB eradication strategy would require some difficult and painful decisions.

“The generality of farmers will, I believe, endure this provided that they can see that a holistic approach is being taken and that steps will be taken to control the spread of disease in wildlife too, for the problem will never be solved unless all sources of the disease are addressed.”