FUNDING to help with the eradication of BVD (Bovine Viral Diarrhoea) in suckler herds was one subject discussed at a beef seminar at Darlington Auction Mart.

Neil Carter, of SAC Consulting, said that a survey of more than 500 herds tested for BVD found that 20 per cent returned at least one positive result. Grant funding is available to pay for a veterinary surgeon to visit the farm and discuss the prevention and treatment of BVD, although the grant excluded the cost of blood testing.

Applications for support would have to be made before February 15, 2015, he added.

One way of testing cattle for BVD without incurring the cost of vet sampling is to adopt the tag and test system. Priced at about £5 per animal it involves using an ear tag to obtain a small piece of tissue, which is then sent to a laboratory for examination.

This method was useful for the early identification of PI (persistently infected) animals. These cattle shed large quantities of the virus and put other members of the herd at risk.

Mr Carter said that, while vaccination played an important role in reducing the spread of BVD, there was still an element of risk, as it was possible for a vaccinated animal to become infected, if it came into close contact with an animal which fell into the PI category.

He suggested there might be an opportunity for auction marts to join the campaign, by scheduling "high health" sales, where only animals of a known health status were put forward.

Any campaign to eradicate BVD would need to be industry-led and made up of a partnership, which included all parties with an influence on farm businesses, he said.

Delegates were told that BVD is transmitted by nose-to-nose contact, urine and faeces, tears and saliva, semen and embryos. Symptoms include a higher risk of infertility, abortion and neonatal deaths, mucosal disease (fatal), and viral diarrhoea.

BVD can be prevented by sourcing replacements from BVD-free herds, screening and quarantining incoming cattle, identifying and culling PI animals, having double fence boundaries where neighbouring cattle are grazed, and implementing a herd vaccination programme.

Farmers interested in applying for funding for BVD testing should contact SAC Consulting on 0131 535 4000 or visit sruc.ac.uk. The seminar was funded by Defra through the Rural Development Programme for England.