Sarah Dines MP was delighted to meet local vets, Charlie Mays, Nat Parker and Alex Olivier from LLM Farm Vets, Sarah Tomlinson BCVA, Andrew Critchlow from the NFU and farmer Michael Oulton at his farm in Ambergate, to discuss the important work of farm vets and technicians and how they are working to test cows for Bovine Tuberculosis (TB).
Sarah Dines MP commented: “I am very grateful for Charlie, Michael, Sarah, Nat, Andrew and Alex taking the time to explain to me the work that veterinary technicians and farming vets do to support our farmers. It was very kind of local farmer Michael Oulton to take the time to meet me at his farm, Springfield Farm in Ambergate, where the team had been testing cows for Bovine Tuberculosis (TB), since 5am that morning.
Bovine TB has a catastrophic and heart-breaking impact on our farmers and the Government is driving forward an ambitious strategy to eradicate bovine TB in England by 2038. This strategy sets out a range of evidence-led interventions to tackle the disease in both cattle and wildlife, including strengthening cattle testing and movement controls, introducing new help for herd owners to improve biosecurity measures on farms and to help manage down the risk of bringing the disease into their herds and supporting the deployment of badger vaccination. When herds unfortunately do test positive for TB, farmers livelihoods are put under enormous strain.
Led by the Farm Safety Foundation - Yellow Wellies, ‘Mind Your Head’ is a week-long campaign that took place last week and seeks to encourage those living and working in the agricultural industry to focus on their mental health. Unfortunately, suicide numbers are high within the farming community, where work pressures are extreme and working conditions often isolating. We all need to play our part to end the stigma surrounding mental health, by talking about our mental health and helping those in need. I encourage anyone struggling with their mental health to reach out to some of the fabulous organisations we have in our area, you are certainly not alone.’
