September 24, 2010

Scottish government provides funding to tackle cattle diseases

In order to prevent cattle diseases, the government has provided the Scottish farming industry a funding support of GBP400,000 (US$627,000).

It is believed that bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) is a deadly sickness that impinges on 40% of cattle herds in the nation.

With this funding, animals can be monitored for the disease by the farmers at comparatively low rates. The contaminated animals can be then kept apart from the others, so that the others do not develop the illness. It would help in improving the survival rates of cattle.

Cabinet secretary, Richard Lochhead said that though there was extraordinary pressure on public funding, the government is committed to get rid of the disease.

Lochhead said, "Ridding Scotland's cattle of BVD will generate an additional GBP50-80 million (US$78-125 million) to the industry over the next ten years. For the average dairy business, this will be worth GBP16,000 (US$25,000) per year and around GBP2,000 (US$3,133) to the average beef business".

In the meantime, it has come to light that the Scottish Funding Council has endowed the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) with GBP800,000 (US$1.25 million) to keep a check on the transmission of Johne's Disease.