The Government is winning its battle against bovine TB – with the number of new TB herd breakdowns in England down by a fifth compared to the previous 12 months and no badgers culled for the first time in over a decade.
Progress in the fight back against the devastating disease comes as the Government (Thursday 5th November) formally adopts a long-term strategy, aimed at eradicating TB from England altogether by 2038.
The multi-faceted approach includes the development of vaccines for cattle and badgers, mandatory blood tests, more robust wildlife surveillance and more test choice.
Developed in partnership with experts and stakeholders, including farmers, vets and scientists, the strategy sets out a clear direction of travel as its long-term plan to tackle bovine TB in England. It was originally published in June and will now be formally taken forward by government.
Bovine TB remains one of the most significant animal health challenges we face. The disease continues to impose a heavy emotional and financial burden on farming families, disrupt rural businesses and leads to the loss of thousands of cattle every year.
The announcement comes as encouraging progress is being made in tackling bovine TB, with herds losing TB free status in England falling by a fifth over the past year and 2026 marking the first year in more than a decade in which no badgers were culled as part of efforts to control the disease – delivering on a manifesto pledge to end the cull.
Biosecurity Minister Baroness Hayman said:
Bovine TB has devasted our farming communities, causing heartbreaking losses, uncertainty and financial hardship. No farmer should have to accept this disease as an unavoidable part of their livelihood.
Our comprehensive strategy will ensure the continuation of the end to badger culling, and prevent the spread of this horrific disease.
Work is already underway on several key measures set out in the strategy, including:
- Cattle vaccination: Continuing the development of a deployable cattle vaccine alongside a new skin test to detect infected animals from vaccinated animals, (DIVA), with an ambition to deploy cattle vaccination by 2030
- Improved disease testing: Expanding the government-funded mandatory blood testing and piloting additional privately funded testing to help detect infection.
- Badger vaccination: Rolling out vaccination in priority areas through the newly contracted Badger Vaccination Field Force.
- Wildlife surveillance: Introducing a new government-funded scheme to collect and test found dead badgers to improve understanding of the disease.
The government will also establish a new industry-government board to replace the existing Bovine TB Partnership for England, bringing together government and industry to oversee delivery of the strategy. The board, expected to be established in 2027, will consider and endorse the first delivery plan, setting out the priority actions needed to tackle the disease and how they will be implemented
The government will continue working with farmers, veterinary professionals and other partners to deliver a coordinated approach to tackling bovine TB, helping to protect animal health and reduce the impact of the disease on rural communities.