Alistair Mackintosh welcomes TB decision

We have sprayed off the winter barley in an attempt to even off ripening. Unfortunately, now that we are ready to harvest, it has rained continuously to the extent the combine can no longer travel. For us it looks like a repeat of last year.

Cows have all been pregnancy scanned. This enables us to move the bulls around with confidence and allows us to concentrate on those that are not in-calf. We may take the opportunity to use AI for those not yet in-calf. We have also had time to check ewes’ udders and teeth and any not fit have been sold. With the price as it is, we are being fairly hard, and no second chances have been tolerated, even though replacements are likely to be more expensive than last year.

In my last Farmer Focus article, I suggested that ministers had to be courageous when it came to TB and the introduction of a wildlife control policy. Thankfully, ministers have made the right decision. This is the best chance to do something meaningful to control this disease and we as an industry must grasp the opportunity with both hands and make it work.

Social media sites are been used to undermine what is a scientifically-based eradication policy. When you compare the damage that can be done on these social media sites – for example, the riots in London – it’s essential that we as an industry embrace these sites and use them to transmit our positive message on TB.