Reservoir of BTB must be removed

NFU CYMRU has given evidence to the National Assembly for Wales’ Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee to emphasise the devastating impact that bovine TB is having on farms across Wales.

NFU Cymru President Stephen James and County Adviser Peter Howells visited the Senedd on Thursday, December 8 to highlight to AMs that the disease continues to cause untold heartache and stress to cattle farmers across Wales, while also placing enormous emotional and financial strain on farming families.

NFU Cymru has been clear and consistent in calling on the Welsh Government to put in place a TB eradication strategy in Wales that removes disease from cattle and wildlife sources.

Speaking after giving evidence at the meeting, NFU Cymru President Stephen James said: “Farmers are playing their part in tackling bovine TB through cattle-based measures, but there remains a lot of frustration in the industry that the reservoir of infection that exists in wildlife has not been confronted. The disease must be actively removed from the badger population in areas where TB is endemic.

“Today we made it clear that future TB eradication measures implemented by the Welsh Government should be based on sound evidence and science-based policy decision making and that all sources of the disease must be tackled effectively if we’re ever to have any chance of eradicating bovine TB in Wales.”