UK government aims to eradicate bovine TB in England by 2038

The UK government formally adopted a long-term strategy to eliminate bovine TB from England by 2038.

This decision follows a period where the number of new herd breakdowns fell by one fifth and the government stopped culling badgers for the first time in over a decade. The new strategy focuses on several key interventions to protect rural businesses and farming families from the financial and emotional toll of the disease.

The government plans to develop a cattle vaccine and a new skin test to identify infected animals, with an aim to deploy the cattle vaccine by 2030. Additionally, the government will roll out badger vaccinations in priority areas using a newly contracted Badger Vaccination Field Force. To improve disease detection, the government will expand mandatory blood testing and pilot private testing options. A new government-funded scheme will also collect and test dead badgers to better understand the disease.

The government plans to establish a new industry-government board in 2027 to oversee the delivery of these actions and replace the Bovine TB Partnership for England.