• Food Chain Traceability
• Tractor Accidents on Rural Roads
• Rural Business Crime
• Healthy Badger Project

Food Chain Traceability

This project started with an investigation for the University of Exeter into the transferability of knowledge about traceability in aviation to traceability within the food chain. 

Seminars, workshops and courses took place which lead to a commission to produce a CD-ROM for small businesses in collaboration with Plymouth College of Further Education. 

The uptake and use of the CD by businesses has been successful but the development of traceability standards as a part of food chain security is still awaited. 

We would welcome further involvement in this important area of greater awareness of food chain safety and dissemination of information.

View or download a free copy of ‘Traceability – Building Confidence with Food Safety’. The CD was published in 2000 but students and others still find the content of value.

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TRACTOR ACCIDENTS ON RURAL ROADS

A report on agricultural vehicle accidents on the roads for 2002 to 2007 inclusive has been completed under contract to the Department for Transport and the Transport Research Laboratory. Data is continuing to be collected throughout 2009.

Work on agricultural vehicle accidents on the road commenced in the 1990's with research, workshops, demonstrations and presentations. The findings of a two year study carried out for the Department of Transport were published in 1997. Further reports are available from The Transport Research Laboratory.

Each week we receive news-cuttings from regional and local newspapers about agricultural vehicle accidents which augment police reports and court findings. An awareness programme targeted at rural road users is under development. Development work to identify improvements in the use and design of road going agricultural vehicles is ongoing and  contact from  manufacturers and interested organisations is welcomed.

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Rural Business Crime

There is concern about rural businesses and crime where family members live on site. Farm diversification is actively being encouraged. More rural businesses have cash and stock that is attractive to thieves. 

A project is under development as a partnership initiative to collate and investigate aspects of rural business crime and offer support to businesses. Contact is welcomed from potential partners, organisations and companies.

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The healthy badger project.

Finance has been obtained from private sources to produce a film on a way forward to control TB in cattle and badgers using field assessments of badger activity. The film Bovine TB - A Way Forward has been shown to veterinary surgeons and farmers at a workshop on November 18th 2009. The aim is healthy badgers and healthy cows.

Following two trial sites involving veterinary practices and their clients with neighbouring cattle farms, a strategy to control TB has been developed. Five additional assessors are to be trained to be available in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. In July 2010 it is planned to host a workshop to establish a way forward for the reduction of the numbers of cattle being slaughtered and the number of cattle farms under TB restriction.

Unhealthy badgers are evicted from setts by healthy badgers. It is the unhealthy badgers that are associated with TB in cattle. By identifying and conserving the healthy badgers both cattle and badgers benefit. It is important to assess farmland during the winter when the nettles, bracken and other vegetation do not obscure tracks and latrines. It appears likely that for 2009/2010 the project will have to function without outside financial support, working with veterinary surgeons and their clients who wish to reduce the TB situation in cattle and wildlife.

Initially discussions take place between veterinary surgeons and farmers within a ten square mile area with adjacent land. An initial meeting with the Healthy Badgers - Healthy Cattle project team is arranged and local practicalities discussed. Maps showing field boundaries to be made available and the wildlife assessment booked at £300 per farm. The assessment will be carried out and a second meeting between all the farmers, the veterinary surgeons and the project team will identify the local TB situation and the actions indicated to improve bio-security.

Funding for the training of additional assessors will be required if the project is to be expanded. Currently there are some 3000 cattle farms in Cornwall, Devon & Somerset under TB restrictions. By the time of the workshop in July 2010 there will be a clearer idea of the acceptance of a combined veterinary, farmer and wildlife acceptance approach to TB.

Copies of the film are available from www.chrischapmanphotography.co.uk.

A series of articles have been written by Richard Gard about TB and published mainly in the veterinary press.

April 2008 ‘Listening to the badger men’ Veterinary Practice.

June 2008 ‘A healthy way to contain TB’ Western Daily Press.

August 2008 ‘ Listening to the badger men and others’ Veterinary Practice

October 2008 ‘Mastering disease in cattle practice’ Veterinary Practice.

April 2009 ‘Bovine TB a Way forward’ Veterinary Practice.

June 2009 ‘Skanky badgers and Mycobacterium bovis’ Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons Annual Review 2009.

September 2009  'TB Myth Busting' Veterinary Practice

December 2009 (in print) 'Understanding TB' Veterinary Practice

We welcome the opportunity to become involved in the planning, development, execution, reporting and dissemination of projects.

Contact Richard Gard

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Last updated November 21, 2009
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