Little R, Wheeler K, Edge S
Department of Geography, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
ADAS UK Ltd, Pendeford House, Pendeford Business Park, Wobaston Rd, Wolverhampton WV9 5AP, UK.
Vet Rec. 2017 Feb 11;180(6):148. doi: 10.1136/vr.103522. Epub 2017 Jan 11.
This paper examines farmer attitudes towards the development of a voluntary risk-based trading scheme for cattle in England as a risk mitigation measure for bovine tuberculosis (bTB). The research reported here was commissioned to gather evidence on the type of scheme that would have a good chance of success in improving the information farmers receive about the bTB risk of cattle they buy. Telephone interviews were conducted with a stratified random sample of 203 cattle farmers in England, splitting the interviews equally between respondents in the high-risk area and low-risk area for bTB. Supplementary interviews and focus groups with farmers were also carried out across the risk areas. Results suggest a greater enthusiasm for a risk-based trading scheme in low-risk areas compared with high-risk areas and among members of breed societies and cattle health schemes. Third-party certification of herds by private vets or the Animal and Plant Health Agency were regarded as the most credible source, with farmer self-certification being favoured by sellers, but being regarded as least credible by buyers. Understanding farmers' attitudes towards voluntary risk-based trading is important to gauge likely uptake, understand preferences for information provision and to assist in monitoring, evaluating and refining the scheme once established.
本文探讨了英国农民对一项基于风险的自愿性牛交易计划发展的态度，该计划旨在作为牛结核病（bTB）的一种风险缓解措施。此处报道的研究旨在收集关于哪种计划在改善农民获取所购牛的bTB风险信息方面有较大成功机会的证据。对英格兰的203名养牛农民进行了分层随机抽样电话访谈，将访谈在bTB高风险地区和低风险地区的受访者之间平均分配。还在各风险地区对农民进行了补充访谈和焦点小组讨论。结果表明，与高风险地区相比，低风险地区以及品种协会和牛健康计划的成员对基于风险的交易计划的热情更高。私人兽医或动植物卫生机构对牛群的第三方认证被视为最可靠的来源，卖家更倾向于农民自我认证，但买家认为其可靠性最低。了解农民对基于风险的自愿性交易的态度对于评估可能的采用情况、理解信息提供偏好以及在计划建立后协助进行监测、评估和完善至关重要。
