News:
| First Milk Backs JAB |
 First Milk is firmly backing the livestock industry’s Joint campaign Against Bluetongue (JAB) to achieve mass vaccination of cattle and sheep.The campaign has been launched by organisations from across the livestock sector following the end of the vector-free period and with the threat of more cases of bluetongue on the horizon this summer. “We are convinced that a voluntary mass vaccination programme is the right approach,” said a joint statement from the group. “We believe that a compulsory vaccination programme requiring official supervision would have slowed down the process of vaccination, put individual farmers businesses at greater risk and increased the likelihood that the virus would spread across the country before animals could be vaccinated.” In Scotland, a wider stakeholder group has recommended that any vaccination programme should take place in the next vector-free period which would mean, next winter. Membership Director Alan Taylor, said: “We are fully backing the JAB campaign and would strongly urge all members within the Protection Zone to vaccinate their animals as soon as the vaccine becomes available. In the meantime, we have been, and will continue to monitor milk loss impact on our business as a result of bluetongue virus.” |