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NEWS
Dr Rhiannon Naylor, Lecturer in Rural Land
Use and Management, featured on BBC
One’s
Countryfile
in October 2015, to
discuss badgers and the biosecurity trials
being undertaken at Harnhill Manor Farm.
Dr Naylor has been working with farmers,
vets, and the South West TB Farm Advisory
Board, to design trough attachments
which aim to reduce contact between
badgers and cattle. During the show,
Rhiannon spoke to
Countryfile
presenter
Tom Heap about the troughs, which were
built by RAU students and positioned
next to a badger sett on the farm.
Dr Rhiannon Naylor said: “The trials
we’re running at the University are small
scale, but provide important evidence
to farmers thinking about implementing
biosecurity measures on their farm. We
are working with the industry to try to
come up with practical solutions that
can be adapted to different farming
situations, whilst being cost effective.”
Dr Naylor also highlighted a recent trial
of the TB Buster mineral lick holder,
designed by Shropshire farmer Alan
Hughes to prevent badger access to
mineral lick buckets and blocks. The
trial showed that the TB Buster could
not be accessed by badgers but was
robust enough to be used with cattle.
Badgers and
biosecurity
Dr Rhiannon Naylor with
Countryfile
presenter Tom Heap
“The trials we’re running at the
University provide important
evidence to farmers thinking
about implementing biosecurity
measures on their farm.”
Dr Rhiannon Naylor, Lecturer in Rural Land Use
and Management
Steve Finch, Principal Lecturer in Crop
Agronomy and Head of Academic
Quality at the RAU, recently visited
Brunei and Malaysia to follow-up
University links. Steve has been
progressing our partnership with the
Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and
Agro-based industry in Malaysia, after
a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) was signed in September 2014.
Steve started his visit by meeting
with the National Agricultural Training
Council (NATC) in Kuala Lumpur,
before travelling north-east to the
National College of Agriculture in Bukit
Tangga, Kedah to deliver a lecture
to more than 400 students and staff.
This visit followed-up on a highly
successful professional development
programme with NATC and MoA
staff at the RAU in November 2015.
The RAU has been working in
Malaysia since the late 1980s,
through high profile partnerships with
government and the private sector.
These have ranged from developing
colleges and improving food supply
business, to agribusiness training and
establishing large modern farms.
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International links
MoA and NATC staff take part in a professional
development programme at the RAU
Steve Finch visits Malaysia and Brunei