NFU Cymru pushes for bovine TB policy overhaul

The next Welsh government must deliver a “comprehensive TB eradication strategy” if the next generation of farmers is to have any hope of a future free from bovine TB, NFU Cymru has warned.

In its Senedd election campaign messaging, the union says urgent change is needed to address what it describes as a disease placing “a huge strain on our Welsh farming industry”.

NFU Cymru Bovine TB Focus Group chairman Roger Lewis said: “Over 11,000 cattle were slaughtered in Wales over the last calendar year due to bovine TB – a truly shocking statistic.”

See also: Analysis: Farming at heart of Welsh election battle

He added: “This disease places a huge strain on our Welsh farming industry. We cannot continue slaughtering thousands of cattle each year, whilst leaving the disease in wildlife unaddressed.

“There is clear evidence of a link between bovine TB in wildlife and cattle.”

Welsh government statistics show 11,257 cattle were slaughtered due to bovine TB in the year to December 2025, with 567 new herd incidents, marking a slight annual decline but highlighting the disease’s continued endemic presence across Wales.

Mr Lewis said the next government must adopt a “targeted approach” combining intervention tools.

“The next Welsh government should adopt a targeted approach – one which deploys the right intervention, whether that be culling or vaccination, in the right way and at the right time,” he added.

Political divide 

The Welsh Senedd (parliament) elections take place on 7 May 2026, and current polling suggests a very close race, with Plaid Cymru and Reform UK neck-and-neck for first place while Labour trails behind in third.

Bovine TB policy remains sharply contested ahead of the Senedd election.

Welsh Labour has focused on tightened cattle testing, movement controls and non‑lethal disease control, maintaining its opposition to badger culling.

Plaid Cymru favours a science‑led, vaccination‑first approach for cattle and wildlife, also rejecting routine culling.

The Welsh Conservatives support a mixed, evidence‑based strategy including targeted wildlife intervention in high‑risk areas alongside increased testing and biosecurity.

Reform UK calls for stronger livestock movement controls and the full use of disease‑control tools, including wildlife action where justified.