Farmers from Anglesey have come together to discuss the current bovine TB situation in the county and raised their concerns with representatives from the Welsh Government and APHA.

The information session was hosted by the local Farmers’ Union of Wales branch and members heard from FUW deputy head of policy Dr Hazel Wright, Stephen Sagar and David Harris from APHA, as well as Alison Jones, from Welsh Government.

FUW Anglesey county executive officer Alaw Jones said: “It was an opportunity to learn about the latest statistics and cases within the county and also to hear the proposals Welsh Government are considering to control the disease on the island. This includes the use of compulsory pre-movement testing and we are awaiting the official start date of this measure.

“A key message was to use 'informed purchasing' and members were encouraged to ensure they know the TB risk of the cattle they are intending to purchase in order to reduce the chance of spreading the disease. Members also used the opportunity to ask questions and raise concerns. I thank the panel for their contributions to the evening.”

Members also heard about the badger vaccination project on Ynys Cybi / Holy Island (Holyhead).

FUW deputy head of policy Dr Hazel Wright, added: “The meeting was a great opportunity for the FUW to ask difficult questions. We also used the opportunity to stress the importance of good communication and again highlighted the need for rewording some of the official correspondence received by our members during a breakdown. We look forward to working with the Welsh Government to improve official TB communications in due course.”