Badger cull news greeted by dismay at Stirling

Livestock farmers attending the Stirling bull sales have reacted with shock and dismay to the news that a badger cull to control bovine TB has been postponed.

Farmers Weekly asked some of the farmers to share their views:

“Something needs to be done to control TB – it’s slowly creeping its way towards us in Hertfordshire. What the best answer is I don’t know, but badgers definitely have a roll to play in the spread of TB. I would encourage a cull of badgers as part of an overall control strategy.”

David Barker, Hertfordshire

“I’m incredibly disappointed. It’s shocking. Badgers have to be culled as part of a TB control strategy. They’ve done all the research and they should act on it.”

Anonymous Charolais breeder from Carlisle

“I’m very disappointed. I thought they’d have more conviction. I’ve seen the results (of a badger cull) in Ireland and it has had a higher impact than predicted on bovine TB.”

Murray Lyle, Conservative councillor for Perth and Kinross

“It’s absolute stupidity. It’s been going on far too long. No one has got the guts to follow it through.”

Anonymous farmer from the Midlands

If you are a livestock farmer affected by the cull postponement and you’d like to comment, you can contact news reporter Phil Case on telephone number 020 8652 4905 or email philip.case@rbi.co.uk

For more on this topic

More news and background on the badger cull and bovine TB