Welsh TB Eradication plan delayed again
The Welsh Government's failure to set a date for an announcement on its Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) eradication programme has drawn severe criticism. An announcement was originally promised last autumn, which was then put back to December, then again to early 2012, and an announcement is now promised for March. Rural Affairs spokesperson for Plaid Cymru Llyr Huws Gruffydd responded to the news by stating that the Welsh farming sector would not be “holding its breath”.
“Less than 12 months ago each member of today’s Cabinet voted in favour of a badger cull as part of a package of measures to get to grips with bTB and no new evidence has been presented to justify a change in policy. If John Griffiths, the Environment Minister, reneges on that agreement with Welsh farmers then I fear the relationship between the government and the industry will hit an all-time low.” he added.
Antoinette Sandbach, Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs, also criticised the additional delay. “This Government is stretching farmers’ patience to breaking point. Farmers’ livelihoods are on the line, yet the Government is dragging its heels. Welsh Labour repeatedly voted in favour of the eradication policy in the last Assembly, yet it now appears unwilling to take the tough but necessary decisions to tackle this disease.” she said.
Approximately 700 Welsh cattle are slaughtered each month due to bTB.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
