Bovine TB - A human tragedy which must be stopped
The Tenant Farmers Association will be using its presence at this year’s Beef Expo Event to highlight the human tragedy of bovine TB which is being allowed, at least in England, to rage unchecked through the countryside.
TFA National Chairman Greg Bliss said "We can all look back to recent animal disease outbreaks like foot and mouth, avian flu, bluetongue and classical swine fever and remember the devastation they caused to individual farm families and the wider industry. Concerted action between the Government and the industry worked to bring those outbreaks under control and yet for the past 20 years, bovine TB has been allowed to extend its evil grasp over an ever increasing number of farms due to the Government’s inexcusable reluctance to tackle the problem head-on. The consequent human suffering that this has caused has been nothing short of a national disgrace".
"The Welsh Assembly Government is at last taking positive action to put in place an eradication plan which, whilst long overdue, gives hope to Welsh farm families. We applaud the bravery of the Rural Affairs Minister and Chief Vet for breaking ranks with their foot-dragging colleagues in England who have held them back for long enough. We desperately need to hear now from Hilary Benn that he will value more highly the welfare of farm families and their livestock by committing to a comprehensive TB eradication plan" said Mr Bliss.
Data currently being collected by a Farm Crisis Network (FCN) survey of farmers affected by bovine TB are already showing the huge stress on people caused by the TB epidemic.
Alan Spedding, who is co-ordinating the survey for FCN said "Almost everyone interviewed so far is frustrated because they cannot see how bio security focussed solely on cattle can stem the spread of the disease. They are convinced that overpopulation of badgers is at least half the problem and that TB will not be stemmed without their numbers being reduced".
Paul Burrows, Chief Executive of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) said "The on-going devastating impact of TB continues to ravage the countryside, which not only has financial implications but there is the human and emotional aspect as well, especially where it has taken generations to build up top quality herds and to see them wiped out overnight. Positive action is urgently needed as we all need and want a strong future to entice the young into farming with new ideas to take British agriculture forward and to support a sustainable rural economy".
