扒哥吃瓜

New measures have been recommended today (Wednesday 10 June) to help tackle bovine tuberculosis (bTB) as part of the Government鈥檚 drive to achieve TB-free status for England by 2038.聽聽

Bovine TB聽remains聽one of the most significant animal health challenges facing England. The disease continues to impose a heavy emotional and financial burden on farming families, disrupt rural businesses and leads to the loss of thousands of cattle and the culling of badgers in affected areas every year.聽

For too long, bovine TB has constrained the full potential of England鈥檚 livestock sector. Achieving TB-free status would mean healthier cattle, stronger farm聽businesses聽and greater confidence to invest, while enhancing the reputation of British livestock and supporting future trade opportunities.聽

An independent steering group of farmers, scientists,聽veterinarians聽and academics was聽convened聽by Defra after the government entered office in 2024 to review and redesign England鈥檚 approach to achieve TB-free status and recommend how progress towards eradication can be accelerated.聽

The group has now delivered a comprehensive package of science-led recommendations for government to consider as it develops the next phase of England鈥檚 bovine TB eradication strategy.聽

Many of the recommendations focus on intervening earlier to prevent disease spread, including through strengthened cattle controls, improved surveillance, enhanced聽testing聽and vaccination. Together, they reflect the importance of reducing infection before it becomes established, while supporting the long-term transition away from widespread badger culling.聽

Bovine TB remains a deeply contested and often polarised issue, particularly around wildlife and the role of badgers in disease transmission. This government has committed to ending the badger cull by the end of this Parliament, and the 2025 culling season marked the final year of industry-led culling in England鈥檚 High Risk and Edge Areas.

Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle said:聽

This Government is聽determined to聽remove the聽barriers that hold聽farmers聽back from聽reaching聽their聽full聽potential.聽Whether it is聽bovine聽TB or聽other聽challenges聽facing the聽sector,聽our聽message is clear: we are聽on聽famers鈥櫬爏ide.聽

By聽working聽together,聽we聽can聽protect animal health and help British agriculture succeed as we move towards our goal of achieving TB free status for England by 2038.

UK Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Christine Middlemiss, said:

Bovine TB is a complex disease and eradicating it requires a sustained, evidence-led disease control approach.

The recommendations published today reflect the importance of early detection, effective ongoing surveillance and robust disease controls. Together with continued advances in areas such as vaccination, these measures can strengthen our response and accelerate our progress towards eradication.

Ministers will now carefully consider the Steering Group鈥檚 findings alongside existing evidence, stakeholder聽views聽and delivery considerations.聽

Fighting TB has a鈥痟uge鈥痶oll on farmers, veterinarians, farming businesses and their cattle. This government will continue to listen to farmers and adapt scientifically robust measures with cattle controls at the centre of disease management.

This Government is already delivering on some of these recommendations, including:聽聽

• continued development of a safe and effective cattle vaccine;聽聽

• the wider roll-out of gamma testing;聽聽

• the establishment of a new badger vaccination field force;聽聽

• and a new badger found dead programme to聽monitor聽TB in badger populations聽聽

By combining strengthened cattle measures, improved testing, vaccination and wildlife disease control, the Government aims to continue driving down infection rates and move England closer to becoming TB free.聽聽

A full copy of the steering group鈥檚 recommendations has been published today on the .