A NEW information pack has been launched giving farmers all the knowledge they need to help safeguard their herd from Bovine TB.

The packs, which have been put together by Devon, Somerset and Torbay Trading Standards, provide information on the regulations surrounding Bovine TB, and how to access information from organisations like the NFU and Farming Community Network.

The packs also give practical tools for farmers to help increase biosecurity standards with the aim of reducing the impact of the disease.

Although the number of new cases of the disease has remained broadly stable in Devon and Somerset over recent years, the South West is a high-risk area for Bovine TB and is where the impact of the disease on the farming community is greatest.

These information packs are designed to assist farmers to try and address any anxieties or concerns they may have about the disease and the risk to their herd.

The packs will include the NFU TB risk assessment designed to identify ways to improve on-farm biosecurity and useful information guides on the survival of the disease and how it spreads. The guides also come with a reusable calendar and cattle movement record book which are useful tools to help reduce potential spread of the disease.

Cllr David Hall, cabinet member at Somerset County Council, said: “As a largely rural county we welcome the introduction of these packs to help our farming community.

“We have escaped any large-scale outbreaks of Bovine TB in recent years.

“The tools supplied in this pack will help our farmers to protect their livestock from this dreadful disease.”