NEW "post-movement" testing requirements for cattle in areas of the country designated as Low Risk for Bovine TB are crucial in the drive to achieve TB-free status for North-East farms.

Richard Findlay, chairman of the NFU's regional livestock board, has welcomed the new measures due to be introduced by the Government from Wednesday.

Farming Minister George Eustice said the new rules were part of a "huge collective effort" to eradicate Bovine TB in England. They are designed to protect against cattle-to-cattle transmission and bring Low Risk Areas of the country closer to achieving TB freedom.

Mr Findlay said that although the new regime meant more work for farmers, this was far preferable to the "terrifying" threat of TB taking hold in such an important livestock region.

He said: "For years, the NFU regionally has been encouraging all livestock and dairy farmers to do everything possible to embrace risk based trading and avoid bringing TB into Yorkshire and the North-East.

"When the new measures were put out to consultation in 2015, there was overwhelming support for a more robust testing regime in the Low Risk Area. That’s because while we currently have only a small number of cases across the region, each one is a result of a cattle movement.

"It is vital to catch any disease brought into the Low Risk Area as quickly as possible – not just to protect our local livestock industry but crucially to protect our currently TB-free wildlife populations."

Under the new regulations, any cattle moved from a High Risk or Edge area into the Low Risk area must be post-movement tested between 60 and 120 days of arrival. No onward movement will be permitted until the test has been carried out with negative results.

There are a few exceptions, including: cattle slaughtered within 120 days of arrival; cattle moved to a licensed finishing Unit and cattle moved to a slaughter market within the Low Risk Area.

Other Bovine TB measures coming into force on April 6 include free pre-sale TB tests for herd owners in Low Risk Areas and the option, under certain conditions, for farmers to carry out a private Interferon Gamma blood test as a diagnosis tool.

More information on the new measures including a Q&A document can be found on the newly launched online TB Hub.

Offering detailed content on everything from TB policy and biosecurity to trading, movements, testing and compensation, the Hub is the result of months of collaborative work by the government, NFU and veterinary groups. It is at tbhub.co.uk.