A grant to support privately delivered badger vaccination projects in Wales has opened for applications for the second year, Rebecca Evans the Deputy Minister for Farming and Food has announced.
The Badger Vaccination Grant provides farmers, landowners and others who wish to vaccinate badgers against TB with the opportunity to benefit from financial support covering up to half their costs.
Rebecca Evans said:
“The latest statistics continue to indicate a downward trend for bovine TB in Wales. This is thanks to the suite of measures we have introduced as part of our eradication programme and co-operation between the Welsh Government and the industry.
“The good work being done to vaccinate badgers in the Intensive Action Area has been well documented and this grant allows groups or individuals to vaccinate badgers in other parts of Wales.
“As a result of last years badger vaccination grant, there are currently seven privately run vaccination projects benefiting from funding and I hope to see more approved following this application window.”
The application window will run until March 2015. Successful applicants can receive up to 50% of the eligible costs of badger vaccination, with a total of £1.25m available over the next five years.
Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales, Christianne Glossop said:
“As we continue to develop our TB Eradication Programme we must use every tool that is available to us to tackle this disease. We believe that vaccination can increase the level of immunity to bovine TB in the badger population and should therefore, over time, reduce the potential for onward spread of the infection to cattle.”
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