Farmers Challenge UK Minister About Bovine TB
US - Shrewsbury & Atcham MP Daniel Kawczynski, who is also the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Dairy Farming, arranged for three farmers and a veterinary expert to speak in person with Government Minister Ben Bradshaw MP about their worries about bovine tuberculosis.
25 January 2007
2 minute read
The delegation of farmers travelled from the West Midlands region to Westminster and included Andrew Bebb, Adrian Joynt and Chris Williamson, as well as vet Tim O’Sullivan.
The meeting opened with the controversial topic of badger culling, with the farmers asking the Minister how likely it is that a cull of badgers to curb the spread of bovine TB will be carried out. Mr Bradshaw replied that the trialling of a practical and effective method of culling was being investigated and that a cull had not been ruled out.
However, he emphasised that a cull would need to be efficient and very wide spread to ensure its effectiveness. The farmers highlighted the different treatment of Foot & Mouth disease in 2001, where culling of infected animals was rapidly introduced, and bovine TB, where the Government has yet to introduce culling of badgers.
The farmers asked the Minister about the right of a farmer to dispatch a sick badger. He confirmed that although it is illegal to kill badgers in the normal course of events, it was permissible for a farmer to shoot a badger that was clearly diseased, if he was confident he could prove at a later date that it was indeed sick and suffering. Mr Bradshaw went on to say that no farmer has ever been prosecuted for killing a badger in these circumstances.
Source: Stackyard
