UK classes FMD risk as ‘medium’

Following on from outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Germany, Hungary and Slovakia, the British government has classed the risk of the disease entering the UK as ‘medium’. FMD was first reported in water buffalo on a farm in Germany back in January.

In March, FMD was confirmed on two Hungarian dairy farms, while Slovakia has reported four outbreaks on cattle farms close to its border with Hungary.

Given one of the Hungarian cases is close to the border with Austria, at the end of March the UK government suspended all imports of livestock and livestock products from Austria, adding to similar bans applying to Germany, Hungary and Slovakia.Further controls were introduced from 12 April and apply to people travelling into Britain from the EU, who are not allowed to bring in any meat or dairy products for personal use. This ban includes the likes of sandwiches, cheese, milk, fresh meat and cured meats.

Controlled burning possible within EFS

Heather regeneration by controlled burning is an option that could be approved within the higher and group levels of the Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS), Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir has confirmed.

Answering a written question from Strangford MLA, Michelle McIlveen, Minister Muir said burning may be possible in limited circumstances. However, applicants must submit “a specialist plan, a wildfire management plan and evidence from the NI Fire and Rescue Service to support their application,” he said.

“To date this option has not been approved as part of an EFS Agreement,” he added.

BVD grace period changes from 1 May

Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir has reminded herd keepers that the grace period where they can avoid Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) herd restrictions, reduces on 1 May 2025.

At present, farmers who have a calf persistently infected (PI) with BVD have 28 days to destroy the animal or get a negative re-test result. From 1 May this grace period reduces to seven days, while from 1 February 2026, herd movement restrictions will be applied immediately following a positive or inconclusive result.

“Reducing the grace period on 1 May from 28 days to seven days should further speed up the removal of BVD positive or inconclusive animals from herds.

Therefore, this will reduce the risk of onward spread of this disease to other animals within the herd as well as reducing the risk to neighbouring herds,” said Minister Muir.

He also pointed out that other BVD control measures will continue to be phased in, including from 1 June 2025 when new controls will target herds containing animals over 30 days old that haven’t been tested for BVD.