Newly released figures have revealed a 3% year-on-year increase in the total number of animals slaughtered in Wales due to bovine TB.
Official government statistics reveal that the number of new herd incidents in Wales has increased by 10% and that the number of herds under restrictions in Wales in the 12 months, up to the end of April 2018, has increased by over 16% when comparing year-on-year.
NFU Cymru said the statistics "clearly illustrate that the measures currently in place to eradicate this disease are not working".
The situation in the county of Pembrokeshire is particularly alarming, with 3,387 cattle slaughtered due to bovine TB in the 12 month period up to the end of April 2018.
This is a 24% increase compared to the same 12 month period last year.
Local dairy farmer and Pembrokeshire NFU Cymru County Chairman, Jeff Evans said the scale of loss is "hugely damaging and unsustainable" for the industry.
“Far too many farming families in this area continue to struggle under the enormous emotional and financial strain caused by bovine TB,” Mr Evans said.
“Cattle farmers here in Pembrokeshire, and throughout the rest of Wales, are continuing to play their part to help control and eradicate the disease by adhering to stringent cattle movement and testing controls.
“However these latest figures clearly illustrate that the measures currently in place to eradicate this disease are not working.”
'Real frustration'
The Welsh government introduced a regionalised approach to tackling the disease in Wales in October 2017.
This includes enhanced measures for chronic breakdown herds where individual action plans have been drawn up with disease control measures specifically aimed at clearing up infection in cattle.
But Mr Evans said it is a source of "real frustration" that since the introduction of these plans, Welsh government in 2017 only managed to issue licences on three farms across the whole of Wales, with only five badgers having been removed.
“This is in stark contrast to the 10,119 cattle that have been slaughtered in Wales due to Bovine TB in the last 12 months,” Mr Evans added.
“This is when we know, from the Badger Found Dead Survey, that in some parts of Wales one in five badgers are suffering from this disease.
He continued: “The continual testing and slaughter of infected cattle alone will not eradicate the disease in herds where re-infection occurs from badgers, this makes control very difficult and eradication impossible.”
