Livestock farmers in the North-west will now be able to vaccinate their animals against disease following the delivery of 1.9 million additional doses of Bluetongue vaccine.

The release of the Bluetongue virus 8 vaccine finally brings the Bluetongue Protection Zone into the region – a move welcomed by the NFU.

Beef, sheep and dairy production on the continent has been decimated by Bluetongue so the NFU is in no doubt that Britain’s agricultural industry needs to protect itself from Bluetongue as early as possible.

However, for the vaccine to be administered, geographical changes to the Bluetongue Protection Zone must occur which may cause short term trading problems for North-west farmers.

NFU North West Livestock Board Chairman, Bill Mellor, who is a beef and sheep producer from Stockport, said: “Some farmers in Cheshire are already living with the reality of not being able to trade with their neighbours as they are in a Bluetongue Protection Zone while, a mile up the road, the farms are in a free area.”

This too could become a reality for farmers in Cumbria or Lancashire (who normally trade with Scotland) when the Bluetongue Protection Zone is extended to cover these counties, but Scotland remains a free area.

NFU Lancashire County Chairman, David Graveston, added: “When this happens all animals will be able to move freely within the Bluetongue Protection Zone which will probably mean the whole of England. If animals are to move to a free area such as Scotland, they will need to have been vaccinated by a vet. In addition, they will not be allowed to move to Scotland until 60 days have passed between the date of the last vaccination and the date on which they want to move.

“There is the option of moving the animals at 35 days following a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test but, at a cost of between £20 and £30 per test. This could prove to be un-economic for lots of farmers. No un-vaccinated animals will be able to move from areas of higher Bluetongue virus 8 risk to areas of lower risk until the onset of a vector free period. “Despite this, given the effects of the disease on the continent, we still need to make sure we vaccinate as many animals as possible as early as possible. However, farmers need to understand what the implications of moving these zones is and make arrangements to limit the potential impact on their businesses.”