Plans for a new National Biosecurity Centre have been outlined as the Defra secretary pledged a range of actions to help farmers withstand disease threats.

Officials say the project will develop a “state-of-the-art science hub” to replace the existing APHA provision at Weybridge, with the first new facilities expected to open there in two years’ time.

The project was revealed as Steve Reed addressed the NFU conference in Westminster yesterday (25 February).

Although his remarks are likely to be somewhat overshadowed by the continuing row over the Government’s farm inheritance tax plans, he told delegates he would have failed in office if he did not improve the sector’s profitability.

Current threats

He also highlighted the current threats from avian flu and bluetongue, as well as the recent foot-and-mouth disease case in Germany, as he argued the Government was helping farms to “build resilience” against the threat of disease.

He continued: “That’s why we’re investing £208 million pounds to set up a new National Biosecurity Centre, modernising the Animal and Plant Health Agency facilities at Weybridge, to protect farmers, food producers and exporters from disease outbreaks that can wipe out businesses in a moment.”

Following a long-running debate about the site’s future, the department later confirmed the first new facilities are expected to be completed in 2027.

Building work on the main hub is also expected to start that year and be completed by 2031. It is envisaged that the site would be fully operational in 2033 or 2034.

Funded visits

Mr Reed also pledged an expansion of funded farm visits to help maintain animal health and welfare, as well as tougher action to clamp down on illegal meat imports.

He said: “More than 92,000 thousand kilograms of illegal meat products were seized at ports across the UK over the past year. They carry huge risk of diseases such as African swine fever and foot-and-mouth getting into the country. We can’t tolerate this.”

He added that the department was working with the Home Office and UK Border Force on measures to seize and crush vehicles linked to the practice.