Impact from TB is worse than F&M
AN OUTBREAK of bovine TB can bring serious economic and social problems for farmers and the impact can be worse at a farm level than an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, according to new research.
The Centre for Rural Research at the University of Exeter this week published a report, An Economic Impact of Bovine TB in the south west, which said although TB did not hurt the wider rural economy, the impact of the disease was often significant for individual farmers.
“An outbreak of bovine TB can have a serious effect on the farm business concerned and movement restrictions, sometimes for extended periods, can make its impact much worse than that of an outbreak of F&M.”
The report was based on the results of a survey of 61 farms of which seven were examined particularly closely. Of the 61 farms, 40 were dairy-based enterprises.
All of the farms surveyed suffered a breakdown of bovine TB during 2002 and 2003.
The survey showed that a number of farms suffered a fall in profitability following a TB breakdown, with some having to extend a loan to overcome losses or cash flow problems.
But researchers found little evidence of any farms profiting from a breakdown.
“There are significant economic impacts which typically have to be borne by the farm business concerned,” it concluded.
Many of the farmers interviewed reported that a breakdown had affected their own personal daily life, that of their family or their household, their employees and their community.
Stress, worry and depression were common symptoms of living with TB. Farmers particularly noted the distress of parting with livestock and an increase in workload.
As a result, one in five calls to the Rural Stress Information Network (02476 412916) can be attributed to the direct or indirect effects of bovine TB.
The report added that farmers’ emotional suffering was compounded by a feeling of “sheer frustration at the apparent lack of progress in controlling the disease”.
Richard Haddock, NFU livestock board chairman and a south-west farmer, welcomed the report’s findings.
“It’s an excellent report that proves that the majority of farmers are not profiteering from the system, even the one or two who do well out of it are still losing out overall when you look at the effect on their business,” said Mr Haddock.
He added that he now regularly receives calls from distressed farmers, but said he could do little more than pass them on to the Farm Crisis Network (07002 326326).
“DEFRA and the ministers at DEFRA don’t appreciate the effects their throw-away remarks are having on people who are living with the disease,” said Mr Haddock.