Huw Irranca-Davies MS, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change & Rural Affairs
I am pleased to introduce the Bovine TB Eradication Programme Board ahead of its first meeting in December.
Sharon Hammond a beef, sheep and poultry farmer will chair the TB Programme Board. Sharon farms in Mid Wales and has practical experience of the challenges of TB outbreaks and restrictions. Sharon brings a great deal of expertise to the role of chair, gained from being a member of the NFU Cymru TB Focus Group since its inception, previous membership of the 2022 TB Task and Finish Group, having been a County Chair for NFU Cymru, and over 30 years as a school governor, chairing four governing bodies.
The other members of the Bovine TB Eradication Programme Board are:
- Gemma Haines is a traditional beef and sheep enterprise farmer based in South Wales. In 2022, Gemma was elected to the Board of Conservators for the common. In 2023, she was elected as chair of the Younger Voices Committee for FUW. Previously she has served as the Secretary for the Highland Cattle Club of Wales.
- Roger Lewisis a dairy farmer from Pembrokeshire. Roger is a farmer representative on the delivery board of the Pembrokeshire Project. His other roles include chair of the NFU Cymru TB Focus Group, a member of GB Calf Strategy bovine TB subgroup and a member of the DEFRA bovine TB Cattle Vaccine Central Core Group.
- Evan Roberts is a dairy farmer from Holywell in North Wales. Evan was previously the chair of the North Wales Regional TB Eradication Board for four years as well as Clwyd County Chair for NFU Cymru. Evan was also involved in the Welsh Government Task and Finish Group on bovine TB.
- Alan Gardner was born on a Montgomeryshire hill farm where he was the Young Farmers County Chair. Alan has recently completed a term as an elected director of the Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) and previously served as the FUW nominated director.
Professor Glyn Hewinson in his role as chair of the TB Technical Advisory Group to provide a link between both groups. Glyn has a wealth of knowledge and is recognised as a world-leading scientific expert in Bovine TB. He is the Sêr Cymru Chair of the TB Centre of Excellence at Aberystwyth University.
Sian Evanswas born and raised on a beef and sheep family-run farm on Ynys Môn. Sian graduated with degrees in Zoology and Veterinary Medicine and Science. She has practiced as a veterinary surgeon in North and South-West Wales, and currently audits official veterinarians and approved tuberculin testers whilst they conduct on-farm TB testing.
Philip Thomas is representing the British Veterinary Association Wales branch. Philip has practiced as a veterinary surgeon and owned veterinary practices in Mid and South Wales. He has been a director of Iechyd Da, our Veterinary Delivery Partner organisation in South Wales, since its formation and is also a director of the Wales Veterinary Science Centre in Aberystwyth. Philip has served on the Southwest Wales Regional TB Eradication Board. He has been a BVA member since 1986 and on the BVA Welsh branch council for almost two years.
Representative for the Farmers’ Union of Wales. The FUW’s mission is to advance and protect Wales’ family farms, both nationally and individually, in order to fulfil the Union’s vision of thriving, sustainable, family farms in Wales.
Representative for the National Farmers Union Cymru. The NFU Cymru are a leading agricultural organisation that represents and champions farmers and growers in Wales. They are at the heart of Welsh farming and their aim is to protect members interests and put in place the conditions that enable productive, profitable and progressive farming businesses to thrive and grow.
- There will also be three ex-officio members: the Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales, the Head of Welsh Government Bovine TB Policy and a representative from the Animal and Plant Health Agency.
The Programme Board will meet quarterly and provide strategic advice to the Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales and Welsh Ministers, strengthened by advice from the TAG. The TAG will consider the Inconclusive Reactor policy next, which will be further considered by the Programme Board. During 2025 both groups will also consider the analysis of the TB 6-year milestone target review.
Partnership working is at the heart of the Bovine TB Eradication Programme here in Wales. I am pleased to see farmers and both farming unions at the heart of this new Bovine TB Eradication Programme Board, and the governance arrangements we have committed to – and are now in place.
Working closely together the TAG and Programme Board, alongside Welsh Government, will ensure farmers, vets, stakeholders, scientific experts and Welsh Government are leading the way together in the shared goal to eradicate bovine TB in Wales by 2041.