We are urgently developing research requirements with other European laboratories to make sure we understand and the disease (Schmallenberg) better.£100m Pirbright money ‘good news’ for farmers - NFU
THE NFU has hailed the announcement of the £100 million Pirbright redevelopment project as ‘good news’ for the farming industry.
The upgrade of facilities at the laboratory that was at the heart of the 2007 foot-and-mouth outbreak had appeared in doubt earlier this year when it emerged that Defra was no longer committed to funding it.
But site owners the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Institute for Animal Health, which is based at the site, have secured the money from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
An NFU spokesman said: “The £100m for animal health is good news for the farming industry, which is still looking for long-term solutions to diseases such as bovine TB and protection against new disease outbreaks such as bluetongue.
“The research facilities at Pirbright are of international importance, so this is good news for the UK’s research community as well as the UK’s farming community.”
The NFU has been campaigning to reverse in the current downward trend for spending in agriculture sciences through its Why Science Matters campaign. The spokesman said the money was a ‘step in the right direction’.
“In recent years there has been a 45 per cent reduction in R&D, which has led to an increase in redundancies in the science sector,” he said.
“The NFU has called for applied science and knowledge transfer to receive proper resource from government to enable new technology and advancements to be disseminated throughout the industry and more importantly to those working on the ground.
“So many of the issues surrounding food production and food security impact on society and the economy.”
The money will be used to redevelop the animal disease research laboratories at the Surrey site. Work should be complete by 2013.
The BBSRC said the decision followed an extensive review of the UK’s needs for animal health research to help ensure animal welfare and contribute to global food security.