CHECS and the British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA) have worked together to develop the new TB Entry Level Membership. This launched on 7th May with the aim is to show cattle farmers that they can adopt a baseline standard of ‘no regrets’ biosecurity measures without some of the more challenging measures included in full TB Herd Accreditation, which doesn’t suit all farms and businesses. The TB Entry Level Membership bridges the gap and provides an accessible scheme for any farmer to get involved at their own achievable level.
To engage, farmers need a participating cattle health scheme, and for their vet to be involved. The health scheme will provide a form covering risk factors and options that vets and farmers will discuss together before making the relevant alterations on farm. The form is then signed off by the vet and returned to the health scheme, which will request the annual review.
Because of significant changes around the science of TB control, vets who sign off the TB Entry Level Membership declaration will first need to undergo a half-day’s online BCVA Accredited TB Veterinary Adviser (BATVA) training course, available to any qualified vet (£10 for members, £55 for non-members).
The training covers farmer engagement, minimising the risk of infection from cattle and reducing the risk from wildlife, as well as contingency planning. The course will be launched at the start of June and by registering interest below you will receive a priority booking invitation when it goes live.
REGISTER YOUR INTEREST IN BATVA
More information about Entry Level Membership can be found at the new CHECS website - www.checs.co.uk.
