Scottish Agricultural College vet Brian Hosie has issued advice that will give buyers in England and Wales the confidence to continue sourcing their livestock requirements from north of the border this autumn.

With the first Scottish sales just around the corner, Scotland remains a bluetongue-free area. This latest veterinary advice reminds those livestock farmers in England and Wales who are vaccinating or about to vaccinate against bluetongue that by buying from a free area they can be confident the animals do not have bluetongue or that they have ever been exposed to the disease.

It also points out that by buying from the free area, they are guaranteed not to bring bluetongue onto their holding and they then have the opportunity to ensure that any disease-free stock arriving on their farm is properly vaccinated.

NFU Scotland vice- president Nigel Miller, who is also a qualified vet, welcomed the advice and commented: "For the forthcoming sales, it had been mooted by some that those buyers south of the border who are currently vaccinating in the protection zone would not wish to buy Scottish stock because it has not been vaccinated. This veterinary advice clearly states that it is actually in their interests to buy stock that is guaranteed free of disease and then carry out their own vaccination when the animals arrive on farm."