New legislation, shaped by the BVD Cymru Steering Group, makes Wales the latest nation to commit to eliminating BVD — joining Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and much of Europe.
Eradicating the disease will cut costs for farm businesses, improve cattle health and welfare and reduce agriculture’s carbon footprint.
What changes from 1 July 2026:
Cattle keepers whose herds do not hold BVD Negative status must pre-movement test animals before moving them off their holding.
Animals can only move on a negative result, valid for 60 days. Moving a BVD-positive or persistently infected animal is an offence.
Cattle of unknown BVD status moving onto a Welsh holding from outside Wales must be tested within 20 days of arrival.
Keepers can now carry out pre-movement testing of young calves, and post-movement testing of all animals themselves using the ‘Tag & Test’ ear tissue sample method — reducing the need for additional vet visits and keeping compliance costs down.
Rural Resilience and Sustainability Minister, Llyr Gruffydd, said:
“I recognise that BVD has a serious impact, not just on standards of animal health and welfare, but also on production including increasing costs to farm businesses.
“Eradicating BVD in Wales has been identified as a priority by Welsh farmers themselves — and ridding our cattle herds of this disease will bring significant benefits to cattle health and productivity, and also to cattle welfare, farm profitability and carbon footprint.
“Our industry is on the same path as Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, along with many other European countries. I would like to express my thanks to all partners that make up the BVD Cymru Steering Group for all their hard work to enable this next step. We will continue to listen to and work with farmers and industry, and the eradication programme will evolve, whilst keeping a clear focus on the goal of a BVD-free Wales.”
Wales Chief Veterinary Officer, Richard Irvine, said:
“BVD is one of the most damaging endemic diseases affecting cattle in Wales – so working together to combat it is crucial. BVD virus weakens immune systems, reduces fertility and increases the risk and impact of other diseases like pneumonia and scours. Equally, in some cases, keepers may not know BVD is present in their herd.
“The next phase of the industry-led eradication programme brings in new measures, including restricting movements from not-negative holdings in Wales, and the testing of cattle with unknown BVD status from outside of Wales. Together with a focus on safe sourcing of cattle, these tools will help stop the disease spreading and speed up the removal of persistently infected animals from the national herd.
“Wales has a strong foundation to build on. Annual screening has already given us a clearer picture of BVD prevalence across the country. This next phase puts that knowledge into action. I commend the ongoing work of the BVD Steering Group and Technical Advisory Group and encourage all cattle keepers to check their herd’s status through EIDCymru now.”
John Griffiths, Chair, BVD Cymru Steering Group, said:
“Reaching this milestone is a testament to the dedication and hard work of everyone involved in the BVD Cymru programme — from farmers and vets to markets, auctioneers and both farming unions. This has always been an industry-led effort, and that is what makes it so significant.
“BVD herd screens are currently showing that four out of every five herds are negative and will not require any further action for 12 months from the screening date. We want this percentage to increase to 100%. Stopping the movement of PI animals (except direct to slaughter) is essential to achieving this goal.
“We are asking every cattle keeper in Wales to check their herd’s BVD status now and make sure they understand what is required of them from 1 July. Eradicating BVD from Wales is achievable — and the actions we take together over the coming months will bring us significantly closer to that goal.”
