The expected decision not to undertake a national badger
cull has been met with complete dismay by farmers in the north west
of England.
While large areas of the region – with the exception of parts of
Cheshire – remain relatively clear of TB, badger populations are on
the increase everywhere. And farmers are living in fear, expecting
that it will only be a matter of time before infection spreads
north.
Cumbria milk producer David Knowles, who milks 60 cows alongside
the farm’s main sheep enterprise near Kendal, said a decision
would be “absolutely ridiculous”.
“There’s no common sense in not culling these badgers. It’s the
only way of controlling the spread and judging by the numbers of
badgers around now – in areas where they have never been found
before – dairy farmers in this part of the world know they are
sitting on a time-bomb.
“Farming always gets treated this way and has to fall in line
behind the pressure of the welfare groups but this time I think the
government will have made a seriously short-sighted decision that
will have drastic implications for the dairy sector,” said David
Knowles.
Cheshire-based dairy consultant and cattle breeder Paul Findley
said:
“It’s astonishing to imagine that the government could be faced
with a solution to this serious problem and totally ignore it.
It’s purely a political decision to win votes from the welfare
people who have no idea of the very serious impact TB continues to
have on a dairy industry trying to recover from its deepest
financial depression.
“It’s a nightmare for all of us in dairy farming and one that
will come back to haunt this government,” commented Paul
Findley.
And Lancashire dairy farmer Jimmy Hull, who runs the Fortland
Holstein herd with sons Andrew and Leslie at Garstang described the
decision not to cull badgers as “totally illogical”.
“This will prove to be a very bad decision that shows how little
this government understands the plight of dairy farmers having to
cope with the impact of TB,” said Mr Hull.
Auctioneer Chris Norton of Cirencester-based auctioneers Norton
and Brooksbank, said the north west was a key dairy producing area
of the UK that could have been saved from the risk of infection if
the cull had been allowed to go ahead.
“But TB is spreading and those who have managed to stay clear so
far must now be very concerned indeed. I am totally flabbergasted
by the government’s total failure to recognise the importance of a
badger cull. To walk away from it at this stage – and to refuse to
comment about it at this week’s Royal Show – proves that we have a
ministry running our industry that is out of touch with
reality.”
Farmers in the midlands have also reacted strongly. Andrea and
John Jones said their farm in Lydbury, Shropshire, was surrounded
by TB infected farms.