UFU Call For TB Group to Make Conclusions
UK - The Ulster Farmers’ Union has called on the Badger / TB Stakeholder Group in Northern Ireland to report its conclusions immediately so that progress can be made in reducing the incidence of bovine TB. UFU President Kenneth Sharkey said that while DARD has repeatedly failed to help the industry make progress on TB, the stress and financial cost to farmers has been enormous.
16 August 2007
2 minute read
| Kenneth Sharkey, right, discusses TB with Downpatrick farmers Jonathon and John carson. |
The UFU has highlighted that the Badger Stakeholder Group was established in May 2004 and was tasked with making recommendations to the Agriculture Minister in November 2004. The Union said it was totally unacceptable that three years later the Group has still made no recommendations or conclusions.
UFU President Kenneth Sharkey said; “TB is having a disastrous impact on thousands of local farms. Every time we raise the issue with Government we are told that the issue is being dealt with by the Badger Stakeholder Group. Absolutely no progress is being made and the industry is not prepared to wait any longer on this process. The Stakeholder Group must report its findings immediately so that we can move this issue forward”.
Newly elected UFU Animal Health and Welfare Chairman Cyril Millar said farmers were completely convinced that the TB problem could not be successfully eradicated unless the reservoir of TB in wildlife is addressed.
Mr Millar said; “It makes no sense to repeatedly remove TB infected bovine animals from farms, only to see the disease re-emerge because it has remained on the farm in wildlife. This has to be addressed to end the hardship which so many farms are facing. Removing diseased wild animals from the countryside would also be an animal welfare friendly initiative”.
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