The Tenant Farmers Association has confirmed its continuing stance of non cooperation with DEFRA on its agenda for cost and responsibility sharing in the arena of animal health and welfare unless and until the Government addresses the industry’s concerns over its inadequate policy for control of bovine TB.
TFA National Chairman Greg Bliss said "The TFA’s Executive Council debated this issue at length at its recent meeting and there was unanimous agreement that, along with other industry bodies, the TFA should remain outside any negotiations with Government until bovine TB was properly tackled. The TFA will continue to keep its stance under review however, to have a true partnership with the Government on animal health and welfare issues there needs to be trust and goodwill and at the moment there was a distinct absence of both".
"The TFA also values the cross industry partnership that exists on this issue. The united front of the industry at this time is vitally important. Collectively and individually we need to continue to challenge the Government on its TB policy and unless and until it moves to create a viable TB eradication plan, which tackles the reservoir of disease in wildlife alongside controls on cattle, it must be right to absent ourselves on talks on wider cost and responsibility sharing issues. We will continue to liaise closely with other industry representatives until this matter is resolved," said Mr Bliss.
If at some time in the future it was believed to be sensible to have an independent body dealing with animal health issues, it will be important to ensure that it was not restricted in the way it carries out its remit. Therefore, recent comments from DEFRA Secretary of State Hilary Benn, suggesting that in his view badger culling was not an issue which an independent body would be allowed to consider, pushes us further away from the negotiating table.
"It would be simply unacceptable for wildlife controls to be considered outside the scope of a future independent animal health body and the Secretary of State is naive to believe that in excluding wildlife controls the industry will be interested in developing the idea of an independent body with the Government. The ball is very much in the Secretary of State’s court and he needs to be extremely careful as to how he plays it," said Mr Bliss.
