The new positive status will be attributed to herds which have a live PI on the farm. Once the PI has been removed from the herd, the status will revert to non-negative until they have completed further screening.

All breeding herds in Scotland must complete an annual screening to establish whether or not a herd has been exposed to BVD. A herd’s status will either be negative, non-negative or positive.

Positive herds can only sell animals which have an individual negative status, the same as non-negative herds.

How does this affect the industry?

This new status does not add additional restrictions on herds with a PI. However, it should make it easier for farmers buying breeding stock to manage the BVD risk. Farmers who do not want a positive status will be more motivated to ensure they do not hold on to a PI animal. The higher risk of BVD from buying cattle out of a herd with an active PI will be much easier identified.

Next steps

Later in April, the BVD advisory group is meeting to discuss new sanctions and controls. The vast majority of farmers are taking significant steps to eradicate BVD, so the pressure is on to take the next step as Scotland moves towards eradication.