A MAJOR conference for beef and sheep farmers will focus on disease control and efficiency.

Organised by SRUC (Scotland’s Rural College), the free event is at the Junction 36 Rural Auction Centre, Crooklands, Kendal, on Wednesday, June 11.

It will bring together farmers, vets and leading experts to discuss the latest information on a range of potential threats, with advice on control and prevention.

Organiser James Hadwin, the Kendal-based consultant with SAC Consulting, part of Scotland’s Rural College, believes it is timely.

“Through the recent North West Livestock Programme, more than 1,600 local farmers have prepared herd-health plans and are thinking how best to avoid disease,” he said.

“But the potential threats are increasing, including the spread of bovine TB into the area. We wanted to bring farmers, vets, and advisers together to think about these and other issues affecting the viability and efficiency of their businesses.”

Dr Malcolm Bennett will open the conference with a report on a Liverpool University study carried out on road-kill badgers to help identify the level of bovine TB in the wildlife population.

The issue of TB control in both herds and wildlife is a contentious issue and one where hard facts are valuable.

Another disease threat to cattle is neospora, linked to a parasite spread by dogs and one of the main causes of abortion in cattle.

Dumfries-based vet Colin Mason of SAC Consulting will outline the progress of what is a developing issue for beef farmers. Meanwhile, a colleague from Edinburgh’s Moredun Institute will outline work to develop a more robust test for Johne’s disease, another hidden threat to the cattle industry.

For other speakers, the emphasis is on efficient production.

SAC Consulting specialist Dr Jimmy Hyslop will look at projects focusing on nutrition and feed efficiency, while colleague Rhidian Jones’ presentation will include discussion about paddock grazing, a way of managing grass that is familiar to dairy farmers but is now gaining in popularity in the beef sector.

Dewi Jones, of sheepbreeding company Innovis, will speak about breeding for performance and the role electronic identification can play.

Lunch will be provided.

For catering purposes register with Kite Consulting on 01902-851007.