“When animal diseases strike, farmers need the rapid support of Defra and its agencies, but all too often Defra’s right hand doesn’t know what its left hand is doing.  Common standards on biosecurity would help farmers minimise the risk of animal diseases spreading but it is also important that Defra works with farmers to agree practical and achievable standards.”

“The importance of protecting the UK’s honeybees cannot be overstated, as we depend on these creatures to pollinate crops.  Honeybees have been hit hard by parasites and disease in recent years, but Defra still lacks a complete picture of the situation.” 

“I urge any beekeepers who are not known to the National Bee Unit to register and inform the Unit of any disease outbreaks.”

Mr Bacon was speaking as the National Audit Office published its report into the health of livestock and honeybees.  The report finds that there are no national standards on farm biosecurity to minimise the risk of diseases spreading and that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Animal Health and other inspection bodies do not systematically collect and share information about biosecurity risks, even though more effective planning and collaborative working would enable better control of endemic disease.

The report also finds that beekeepers have reported unusually high losses of honeybees in recent years.  The Varroa parasite is now endemic, making honeybee colonies more vulnerable to other diseases. Effective control of Varroa and monitoring of other diseases is hampered by the fact that an estimated 20,000 beekeepers are not known to the National Bee Unit’s inspectors and are less likely to notify the Department of any diseases.