A Pembrokeshire milk producer who has vaccinated all his stock against bluetongue is urging every farmer to do the same.

Nigel James, chairman of NFU Cymru in Pembrokeshire, says the consequences of his herd contracting the disease would be so dire that he hadn’t hesitated in his decision to vaccinate.

“It is surely the right thing to do,” said Mr James.

“Bluetongue can be completely avoided and now that our stock has been vaccinated we can forget about it.”

Although importing cattle risks bringing the disease into the country there is nothing preventing farmers from buying stock from abroad.

However, Mr James says farmers needed to appreciate the risks and not import.

“It is common sense, as a branch we urge farmers in the strongest possible terms to not buy livestock from abroad,” he added.

He has already suffered the consequences of disease by losing a high percentage of his stock at Clarbeston Grange to bovine TB.

He welcomed the Welsh Assembly’s decision to implement a comprehensive one-off test of all herds across Wales.

Referred to as TB Health Check Wales, the testing has already started and will mean 3,500 additional herds being tested in the 15 months up to the end of 2009. “It has got to be the right thing to do,” he said, “As farmers we must be seen to be doing our bit to control the disease.”