AS MIDGE activity reaches its annual peak, livestock farmers across the UK are hoping that – as has so far been the case – there are no major outbreaks of bluetongue.
There has been one minor incidence in England, involving an unvaccinated sheep imported from France. The animal was slaughtered, with no compensation to the farmer and no sympathy from his colleagues for putting the industry at risk.
Vaccinati
on for bluetongue – a viral disease spread by midges that affects cattle, sheep and goats, frequently with huge economic consequences – is now proceeding throughout most of England and Wales.
As mixing animals from regions without vaccination programmes with those from the so-called "protection zones" is risky, the Scottish industry had been hoping there would be no vaccination in the most northerly regions of England – Northumberland and Cumbria – until after all the major sales of breeding and store stock.
But last week Hilary Benn, the Environment Secretary, announced that both Northumberland and Cumbria would be designated as a protection zone from 1 September, with a subsequent voluntary vaccination programme to be rolled out.
The practical implications are likely to be considerable and potentially expensive. Farmers from Scotland will still be able to take livestock to England for sale, but not bring them home if they go unsold. And any buyer will have to bear the subsequent cost of vaccination.
Vaccinated animals will also be able to come north across the Border, but will be subject to a test for bluetongue after 60 days' residency.
David Pritchard of Carlisle-based auctioneers Harrison & Hetherington was recently quoted in Farmers Weekly as saying: "About 30 per cent of stock purchased at Carlisle goes into Scotland, while the same amount of stock is brought down for sale from Scotland. We can envisage it being a devastating situation."
Nigel Miller, vice-president of NFU Scotland and a qualified vet, said: "We fully support the efforts being taken to ensure the (vaccination] programme is a success. But in order to maintain this success it is clear that the farming community on both sides of the Border must buy in to the bluetongue control policy.
"Without such a buy-in it is possible that the vaccine uptake may not reach a level sufficient to deliver a protective shield. Before the protection zone is extended we think it is important to put the evidence base in the public domain. In doing so, there are several key questions that must be answered by Mr Benn."
Not least of Miller's concerns relates to the rationale of exposing a new area to the risk of importing BT during September, when the neighbouring disease risk is low and the full immunity from vaccination will not be seen until early winter, when midge activity has fallen.
Miller added: "Placing the evidence base in the public domain will go a long way to ensuring support on both sides of the Border in the face of economic damage to both farms and businesses."
The suspicion is that Scottish livestock farmers will refrain from buying livestock in English markets until later in the year, while buyers from south of the Border will also hold back on Scottish purchases until Scotland rolls out its own vaccination programme in late autumn.
The situation is highly complex, but the Scottish Government has indicated that it will hold another "stakeholder meeting" late next month, by which time the wider picture should be much clearer.
