A conference focusing on devastating cattle disease TB hopes to teach farmers more about what can be done to reduce its risk and impact on-farm.

The event, which is titled ‘Tackling Bovine TB: A collaborative approach to disease control’,  will take place on Wednesday, June 26, 2019, at 9:00am at Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester, and is aimed at farmers in the High Risk and Edge Areas of England.

It will also include an opening address by Prof. Sir Charles Godfray, who chairs the panel that reviewed Defra’s 25-year TB eradication strategy.

The ‘Bovine TB Strategy Review’ urged industry stakeholders to take greater ownership of disease control.

Prof. James Wood, University of Cambridge; Andy Robertson, University of Exeter; and TB Advisory Service (TBAS) technical director Sarah Tomlinson are also among the line-up of speakers.

Itinerary

The programme includes a wide range of speakers, workshops, demonstrations and trade stands, focussing on practical measures farmers can implement to reduce the risk and impact of TB.

  • 9:00am: Registration and trade stands;
  • 10:00am: Opening address by Prof. Sir. Charles Godfray, University of Oxford;
  • 10:20am: TB in England – Where are we going? Prof. James Wood, University of Cambridge;
  • 10:50am: Disease control in practice – What can we do? James Russell, British Cattle Veterinary Association;
  • 11:30am: Coffee break and trade stands;
  • 12:00pm: The role of wildlife in TB transmission, Andy Robertson, University of Exeter;
  • 12:30pm: Building resilience into your business, Sarah Tomlinson, technical director, TBAS;
  • 1:00pm: Lunch, trade stands and workshops;
  • 2:30pm: TB – a farmer’s perspective, Mark Jelley, Beef Farmer, Northants;
  • 3:00pm: Panel discussion;
  • 3:30pm: Closing remarks by Prof. Sir Charles Godfray, University of Oxford;
  • 3:45pm: Tea and trade stands.

Tickets are priced at £100 +VAT. However, farmers can attend for the discounted price of £25 +VAT and can be purchased at: http://bit.ly/TBAS2019.

The TB Advisory Service provides free advice on bovine TB to farmers in the High Risk and Edge Areas of England.

Stockmen can access bespoke, on-farm advice from an experienced TB advisor, or through the service’s telephone helpline. The project is funded through the Rural Development Programme for England.

For further information, please call TBAS on: 01306 779410.

BOVINE TB