Bluetongue virus restrictions in Wales will be eased, allowing vaccinated livestock to be taken across the border to markets in England.
From Monday, livestock with a completed course of bluetongue vaccination (BTV-3) can be taken to markets within 12 miles (20km) of the Welsh border.
Wales’ chief vet Richard Irvine said bluetongue, a virus transmitted by midge bites that affects cattle, sheep and goats, was “a potentially devastating disease”.
Farmer Ryan Thomas said the restrictions, which have been in place since July, had driven prices up “because Welsh farmers are all buying stock in Wales”.
Movement of livestock from England into Wales is still restricted without a negative test, as is transporting unvaccinated animals across the border.
Markets in England would have to hold dedicated sales of vaccinated Welsh-only livestock and adhere to strict conditions.
The Welsh government said the aim was to prevent the virus spreading, but people in the farming industry warned it could be “catastrophic” for cross-border trade.
The virus presents no threat to food safety or human health but can be fatal for livestock.
There have been some cases in England, but none in Wales this year.
Since 1 July the UK government has designated England a restricted zone, meaning livestock from there cannot come into Wales.
Mr Thomas, who has a farm in Machynlleth, Powys, used to buy cattle from Shropshire in England but said that had changed significantly in the past six weeks.
“I’ve had to buy in Wales but prices have risen because Welsh farmers are all buying stock in Wales.”
The Welsh government said vaccination was the best way of protecting livestock, but only a very small percentage of livestock have been vaccinated.
As well as the conditions for animals travelling into England, from Monday any livestock returning to Wales from market must come back on the same day they left.
This means they will not be subjected to any pre or post-movement testing, when conditions have been met.
Markets in England within the permitted travel range are in Bishops Castle, Hereford, Kington, Ludlow, Market Drayton, Oswestry, Ross-on-Wye and Shrewsbury.
Phil Thomas, a vet in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, said the move was a way of trying to help livestock trading while managing the risk of the virus spreading.
“There’s costs, whichever way we look at this – there’s costs of the disease and also costs on trade restrictions.
“This is one way of reducing those costs, by taking the animals to recognised sales, albeit with extra precautions.”
He added that the move opens up trade in a “risk-evaluated way”.
“There is a slightly increased risk of this movement, but because the stock have been vaccinated and that they originated in Wales, and that they’ve only been in the market for a day, then that risk is very small.”
Helen Roberts, of the National Sheep Association (NSA) in Wales, said only 43,000 sheep have been vaccinated, but there was still time for farmers to protect their animals “for the busy autumn period and what might be the worst time of the year for exposure to BTV depending on the weather conditions”.
She welcomed the easing of travel rules but encouraged producers to look at the “vaccination status of the animals”.
Dr Irvine said that following a review of bluetongue policy, it was agreed to make phased changes to facilitate autumn sales to balance industry needs against the risk of the disease coming into Wales.
He added that further changes – including making sales of breeding stock easier at “bluetongue-approved markets” in Wales – were being considered.
These could sell BTV-3 vaccinated livestock from England and Wales and markets can apply to get this status from mid-September.
