Given the huge commitment Scottish farmers are making to eradicate BVD, NFU Scotland vice-president GARY MITCHELL asks if it is time to name and shame those who risk Scotland’s disease-free plans.
LAST week, I met a Scottish Government official who was gathering evidence on my own experience in tackling Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) on my farm which involved identifying any persistently infected animals (PIs).
I took the decision to start tissue tagging more than three years ago as it is the only way to get the BVD status of every cow. In year one we had five or six positive animals. In year two we had four or five positives and in year three we had two or three positive animals. If we remain clear until August, then we will be one full year free of the disease.