Friday 21st February 2003
Farmers hit out over switch in TB policy | |
|  | | Have badgers been wrongly blamed for spreading bovine TB? |
| | The Government believes that cattle - and not badgers - may be to blame for the spread of bovine TB.
The switch in emphasis has angered farmers in the South West, where bovine TB is widespread. |
|  | | South West farmers say they are appalled by new plans to halt the spread of TB in cattle.
The Government wants to tighten up testing and cattle controls - and penalise those who do not co-operate.
But many farmers insist that badgers are responsible for the huge increase in the disease, and want to see an extended cull.
Inspecting the badger setts on his North Devon farm has become a daily routine for beef farmer Jim Connell. He has been under TB restrictions since September 2002 - and like many other farmers is convinced the badgers are to blame.
 | | Beef farmer Jim Connell |
He said: "Why can't they be gassed, why can't they be done away with, we're never going to get rid of TB with these here. It's got worse and worse in the last year."
On 20th February, he was told of another positive test which means his farm must now stay closed down for 120 days.
In the meantime he still has to feed his remaining cattle, without any income.
And he's not alone - there has been a huge rise in cases of TB in cattle, and the South West is by far the worst affected area in the country. More than 2,000 of the region's farms are closed down because of the disease.
Although most farmers blame badgers for spreading TB in cattle, new Government plans to crack down on the disease have emerged which do not include any option for an extended cull of badgers.
 | | Jim Connell's stock has to be maintained - even though he has no income at present |
Instead, the focus is on the spread from cattle to cattle. Farmers failing to comply with testing may be banned from selling their milk, and could be unable to trade livestock if they have not been checked for the disease.
Wildlife groups - who have helped advise the Government - point to a rise in TB cases when farmers restocked after foot-and-mouth as clear evidence that cattle themselves are responsible for spreading the disease.
Dr Elaine King of the National Federation of Badger Groups welcomed the switch in emphasis away from badgers to cattle themselves.
She said: "Over 30 years of badger culling have shown that badgers don't give TB to cattle - that's why there is a strong shift away from blaming the badger, and placing the emphasis on cattle."
But farmers don't agree. Anthony Gibson, of the national Farmers' Union in the South West, said: "Yes TB was spread from cattle restocking, but disease also spread at a time when cattle movements were completely banned because of foot-and-mouth disease."
Long term, many farmers are pinning their hopes on a TB vaccine for cattle which should be available over the next few years.
But that will come too late for Jim Connell and others - who are having to deal with the effects of the outbreak now.
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