The NFU has been banned from running an advert highlighting the number of cows that are being slaughtered because of TB, following complaints from Vegetarians International Voice for Animals (Viva!) and the Badger Trust.
The Advertising Standards Authority has ruled that the advert, which featured a cow lying dead on the floor (click to see image), should not be run again in its current form.
The ruling has emerged on the same day that BPEX has been criticised for an advert promoting the Quality Standard Mark.
The ASA ruled that the NFU's ad was misleading because it contained the claim that 40,000 cattle would be lost to TB in 2008 “unless action is taken to eradicate TB from infected badgers”.
The agency said it accepted that the figure of 40,000 was a reasonable prediction, but the advert implied that the spread of bovine TB was solely caused by the badger.
It said that official reports did not state "in clear and unequivocal terms" the extent to which cattle to cattle transmission could be separated from badger to cattle transmissions.
An NFU spokesman said: “Clearly we are disappointed that the ASA has upheld this complaint, because, the NFU has never said, nor does it believe, that badgers are solely responsible for the spread of bovine TB.
“However, it is abundantly clear that there is a reservoir of TB in badgers and that unless the level of infection in badgers is addressed we will continue to see increases in the numbers of new cases of bovine TB and continued re-infection of existing TB affected herds.
“Our advert was intended to highlight the tragic impact that TB is having on our cattle industry and the farmers and their families that have to live with TB day in, day out whilst the government stands by and refuses to tackle one of the major sources of the infection.
“The NFU will not give up its fight to see TB eradicated and unlike the government we will not give up on thousands of farmers and their families that lives and businesses are being devastated by TB.”
What do you make of this ruling? Shar your thoughts on the forums.