FIRST HERD SCREENING PROJECT IN WALES LAUNCHED AS PART OF THE WELSH GOVERNMENT’S MULTI-MILLION POUND BID TO ERADICATE BVD/

An industry led herd screening project funded through the recently
announced 10 million fund allocated by Welsh Government to help
eradicate BVD (Bovine Viral Diarrhoea), is being launched at 11am
today at the farm of well known beef and sheep farmer Richard Tudor of
Llysun Farm, Llanerfyl near Welshpool.

Mr. Tudor, who was last year’s Farmers Weekly ‘beef farmer of the
year’, is also a Farming Connect demonstration site farmer.

Farmers throughout Wales will be urged to participate in this new
voluntary eradication programme which has been funded through the
Welsh Government’s Rural Development Programme. Called ‘Gwaredu BVD’
(Eradicating BVD), its purpose is to provide the necessary support and
guidance to ensure farmers can correctly and quickly identify herds
infected with BVD.

The programme will be managed jointly by Coleg Sir Gr’s Agriculture
Research Centre in partnership with the Royal Veterinary College
(RVC).

Speaking at the launch, John Griffiths, manager of the Agriculture
Research Centre based at Coleg Sir Gr’s Gelli Aur campus, who is also
chair of Wales Animal Health and Welfare Framework’s BVD eradication
sub-group said,

“BVD in cattle is widespread in Wales, causing annual losses
totalling up to 15,000 and 4,500 respectively in the average sized
dairy and beef herds. This disease can reduce fertility, increase
incidences of abortion and cause pneumonia in affected stock, so it
has drastic and long-lasting effects on all farms affected, from both
a personal and business perspective.

“This new voluntary disease eradication programme will be conducted
alongside Wales’s annual herd TB testing regime to help identify herds
infected with BVD. Support will also be available to find the
persistently infected (PI) animals from infected herds.

“The testing phase will continue over a three-year period. When
complete, we’ll hopefully be in an improved position with regards to
BVD in Wales and our ultimate aim is to make Wales BVD free.”

Dr Neil Paton, Lecturer in Farm Animal Health and Production at the
RVC, has played a significant part in the project’s development and
will act as the Veterinary Technical lead for its duration.

“BVD is an unpleasant virus and represents a significant drain on the
UK cattle industry. This new disease eradication programme is the
first industry driven initiative that aims to eradicate a disease in
Wales.” said Dr. Paton.

BVD is a viral and immunosuppressive disease maintained by a small
population of animals that become persistently infected and are a risk
to the health of the rest of the herd. This affects the farms
production system in terms of cost and animal welfare issues that can
lead to pneumonia, scour, infertility and reproductive disorders.

LANSIO’R PROSIECT CYNTAF YNG NGHYMRU I SGRINIO BUCHES FEL RHAN O
YMGAIS GWERTH MILIYNAU O BUNNOEDD GAN LYWODRAETH CYMRU I WAREDU BVD

Mae prosiect dan arweiniad y diwydiant i sgrinio’r fuches, a ariennir
trwy’r gronfa 10 miliwn a gyhoeddwyd yn ddiweddar gan Lywodraeth
Cymru i gynorthwyo i waredu BVD (Dolur Rhydd Feirysol Buchol), yn cael
ei lansio heddiw am 11yb ar fferm y ffermwr bff a defaid adnabyddus,
Richard Tudor, Fferm Llysun, Llanerfyl ger y Trallwng.

Mae Mr. Tudor, a gafodd ei enwi’n ‘ffermwr bff y flwyddyn’ y Farmers
Weekly y llynedd, hefyd yn ffermio ar un o safleoedd arddangos Cyswllt
Ffermio.

Bydd ffermwyr ledled Cymru’n cael eu hannog i gymryd rhan yn y
rhaglen wirfoddol hon a ariennir trwy Raglen Datblygu Gwledig
Llywodraeth Cymru. Dan faner ‘Gwaredu BVD’, pwrpas y rhaglen yw
darparu’r gefnogaeth a’r arweiniad angenrheidiol er mwyn sicrhau bod
ffermwyr yn gallu adnabod buchesi sydd wedi’u heintio chlefyd BVD yn
brydlon ac yn gywir.

Bydd y rhaglen yn cael ei rheoli ar y cyd gan Ganolfan Ymchwil Amaeth
Coleg Sir Gr mewn partneriaeth ‘r Coleg Milfeddygol Brenhinol (RVC).

Yn ystod y lansiad, dywedodd John Griffiths, rheolwr y Ganolfan
Ymchwil Amaeth a leolir ar gampws Gellir Aur Coleg Sir Gr, a
chadeirydd is-grp gwaredu BVD Fframwaith Iechyd a Lles Anifeiliaid
Cymru,

“Mae BVD mewn gwartheg yn gyffredin ar draws Cymru, gan achosi
colledion blynyddol o hyd at 15,000 yn y fuches laeth gyfartalog a
4,500 yn y fuches bff gyfartalog. Gall y clefyd leihau ffrwythlondeb,
cynyddu achosion o erthylu ac achosi niwmonia mewn da byw sy’n cael eu
heffeithio, felly mae’n cael effaith hirdymor ar bob fferm sy’n cael
ei effeithio, a hynny o safbwynt personol a busnes.

“Bydd y rhaglen waredu gwirfoddol yn cael ei chynnal ochr yn ochr
threfn profi TB blynyddol y fuches, er mwyn cynorthwyo i adnabod
buchesi sydd wedi’u heintio BVD. Bydd cefnogaeth hefyd ar gael er mwyn
cynorthwyo i geisio canfod yr anifeiliaid sydd wedi’u Heintio’n
Barhaus (PI) ymysg buchesi sydd wedi’u heintio.

“Bydd y cyfnod profi yn parhau dros gyfnod o dair blynedd. Unwaith y
bydd wedi’i gwblhau, gobeithio y byddwn mewn gwell lle o ran BVD yng
Nghymru a’n nod yn y pen draw yw sicrhau bod Cymru’n rhydd o glefyd
BVD.

Mae Dr Neil Paton, Darlithydd mewn Iechyd a Chynhyrchiant Anifeiliaid
Fferm yn y Coleg Milfeddygol Brenhinol, wedi chwarae rhan sylweddol yn
natblygiad y prosiect, a bydd yn gweithredu fel arweinydd Technegol
Milfeddygol drwy gydol y prosiect.

“Mae BVD yn firws annymunol ac mae’n rhoi straen sylweddol ar y
diwydiant gwartheg yn y DU. Y rhaglen waredu hon yw’r fenter gyntaf
sy’n cael ei harwain gan y diwydiant sy’n anelu at waredu clefyd yng
Nghymru.” meddai Dr. Paton.

Mae BVD yn glefyd feirysol ac imiwnoataliol sy’n cael ei gynnal gan
gyfran fechan o anifeiliaid sy’n cael eu heintio’n barhaus ac yn peri
risg i iechyd gweddill y fuches. Mae hyn yn effeithio ar system
gynhyrchiant y fferm o ran costau a materion lles anifeiliaid, a all
arwain at niwmonia, ysgoth, anffrwythlondeb ac anhwylderau
atgynhyrchu.