Shropshire farmers today reacted with fury after a leaked report revealed the Government will rule against culling badgers to control TB in cattle next week.One farmer, whose business has been blighted by bovine tuberculosis, will lead an emotional demonstration outside Parliament next week in protest at the decision.
Andrew Bebb, from Shrewsbury, will join forces with farmers from across Shropshire and the rest of the Midlands who have had their livestock destroyed and farms shut down by the killer disease.
The decision, leaked ahead of next week’s planned announcement by Environment Secretary Hilary Benn, drew a furious response from Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski, chairman of the all-party group on dairy farming.
“I am devastated at this news,” he said. “Predictions across the country are that this year alone up to 40,500 cows will have to be slaughtered as a result of bovine TB, costing the taxpayers hundreds of millions of pounds in compensation to farmers affected.
“This disease brings emotional stress and misery to our rural communities and has an extraordinarily damaging effect on our farmers’ livelihoods.”
Mr Kawczynski today sent a letter to all MPs urging them to join in next week’s demonstration.
He was backed by NFU president Peter Kendall, who said: “This will be a devastating decision for farmers and their families who are being really blighted, devastated and destroyed - whole livelihoods and businesses - because of this.”
Defra’s decision goes against the recommendations of the former Chief Scientific Advisor, Sir David King.
But it follows research from the Independent Scientific Group which conducted a 10-year study into culling, concluding it could not “meaningfully contribute” to controlling TB.
Trevor Lawson, from the Badger Trust, said: “There is no scientific, economic or practical case for culling badgers to control bovine TB.”
However, Sir David King said that unless tuberculosis was dealt with in the badger population, it would continue to spread among cattle.
By Rural Affairs Editor Nathan Rous
32 Comments
Good. An evidence based decision on science not farmers ‘local knowledge’ - this is heads over hearts stuff, and a good decision by the government
I am so pleased the government have seen sense on this one. There was no evidence to suggest such a drastic measure would have helped. I am going to continue watching badgers, hopefully forever. Hurrah!
AAaaaaaagh they so cute and fluffy, i want one as a pet is so beautiful, cuddle them so sweet
Cute & cuddly yes but would you like to catch TB from one??
They suffer with it terribly before they die, you wouldnt watch your pet suffer with it would you?
The actual solution to the bovine TB problem is to cull cattle. I’d be quite happy to see the burning carcases of cattle on pyres again rather than culling the humble badger. Cattle have two uses: milk and beef. Both are not necessities and there are many substitutes, so cull the cattle, I say.
This decision was based on the report of the Independent Scientific Group on TB in Cattle. This was a much larger study than Government Scientific Adviser’s own study. It took more fully the total economic impact into account, not just to farmers but overall including tax payers. The the evidence that badger culling will be effective is not strong enough. I suspect this decision would have been the same whatever party was in power as it is an evidence based decision. Of course I have sympathy with the farmers but rather than pursuing a vain hope the solution must be sought elsewhere.
H. St John Peasbody - what a narrow minded statement cows only have two uses, surely you’ll failing to see their use in providing farmers with an income. Okay so we may be able to buy substitutes to milk and beef but where are the farmers to go for a substitute to their income.
Dione is clearly missing a trick here. Farmers should switch from cattle to badger farming: You get a lovely ham from a badger.
Hooray! I too am a keen badger fan and this is really good news. I am lucky enough to be visited by at least 6 badgers a night, have been feeding them for 5 years now and can sit and talk to them whilst being only a few feet away. Babies are in now, running around and pinching food off their elders - fantastic!
Not only the farmers have problems with Badger’s! They’ve made half an acre of our limited grazing land useless by under minding it!!! My horse nearly broke a leg last year when a run collapsed! I take it the people writing that they are cute, dont live with them on there door step ripping up there lawns and borders after grubs because the population of them are out of control.
How many farmers work nowadays?
Most farmers receive income from the EU and UK for doing nothing.
And if farmers are so poor - how can they afford all the expensive 4×4’s, people carriers, sports cars, mansions to live in.
If farmers are so upset at a poor income I would gladly swap my job and lifestyle for being a farmer
Dione - Peasbody is narrow minded no matter what subject he comments on. If it was his business effected by such a problem then he wouldnt be making such comments.
They may be humble but they do suffer like humans with this chronic disease, obviously we can get treatment for TB but they dont. They do suffer incredible pain etc which we dont see when we are budger watching.
I am not anti badger but as I said before if it were your pet you wouldnt just sit back and let it suffer an agonising death.
Years ago when I was a child the roads used to bre littered with dead cats and I did not see a badger until well in my adult years, now the situation is reversed and there are dead badgers everywhere, I recently saw 3 carcases on one mile of little used single track road between LLanfair and Adfa. Surely the problem is not just the occasional badger with TB but the vast number of them.
Actually, the badgers we feed do scratch and dig around in our garden, and have made a mess of our fence, but this does not outweigh the pleasure of seeing and hearing them at such close quarters. I think it’s high time the government looked into preventative vaccinations - if cattle are so important to peoples’ livelihoods then why aren’t they trying to put a stop to not only TB, but other well-known diseases, as equally as devastating (but not due to badgers), before we suffer more outbreaks?
I have heard that farmers are illegally baiting badgers and once killed they are being disposed off on the roadsides - in order give the impression that the badgers are being run over.
Again it may be a urban legend but about 5 years we never saw dead badgers on the roadside and now we are seeing (well I am) 3 or 4 on the way to work each day
I like badgers and cows, though only badgers visit our garden.
I understand there’s a vaccine that could be given to cows to prevent TB (just as there is for humans). I also understand that cattle kept in overcrowded and unhygienic conditions are far more likely to suffer the spread of tuberculosis than others. The answers seem to be there in front of our (the farmers’, the governments’s) noses.
Although there has been a rise in badger numbers since badger baiting was made illegal, I think if road-killed badgers were inspected closely it would be found that many of them have either a bullet hole or evidence of dog bites on them. They are thrown onto the road so cars hit them and destroy the evidence.
Phil - I take it you dont live in the country yourself, yes 4×4’s cost alot so it looks like they have loads of money but they need these to drive around the fields to check livestock etc, as for they dont do much, rubbish! I helped out on a friends farm last year and it is the hardest work i have ever done my father was a farmer and my uncle is still a farmer now, the hours that are worked while lambing season or while combine harvesting! they are out in there fields for about 12-14 hours a day, so for you to say you would change your lifestyle from sitting behind a desk, i dont think you would last….
Badgers ? We don’t NEED no stinkin’ badgers…
Right peasbody if it wasn’t for clever farmers you’d still be out with your spear, hunting or picking berries in the forest so your family didn’t starve.
This is the farmers lives and jobs at stake here, the credit crunch is enough as it it without the farmers struggling aswell, dont you understand if the farmers struggle so do the rest of us, im sure you would all be moaning if the price of beef and milk shot up, the farmers obviously have reason for this and i agree with them. Just put yourself in their shoes! farmers are here to earn a living just like the rest of us!
Has anyone inspected the ground for signs of TB virus as it is not unusual for farmers to bury dead animals (illegal but cheaper). Badgers may, purely be digging and living in already contaminated ground, shifting the blame to them.
im glad as the science says its not badgers that are the problem its the intensity of rearing and too much movement of the cattle
Farmers run a business.
unlike any other business in this country they expect the rest of us to subsidise them to the hilt.
unlike any other business they expect to be paid for not using land.
Unlike any other business they expect to be aid when they fail.
Then they whinge constantly.
ever seen a poor farmer?
Best i saw was the one who sent 3 children through public school, paid fees of £10,000 per anum per child.
When they went to university his proud boast is how they receive a full maintaince grant as he was able to show a very small income.
“Culling badgers!” Said the government of Ireland. “What a good idea! Let’s do it!”
So they did. Badgers culled, TB totally eradicated in Ireland, farmers there live in bucolic joy as… Oh, no! Stop! There’s something wrong! The Irish DID cull the badgers… BUT! TB is still increasing in Ireland!
The Irish badger cull has been described as “futile” and words like “failed” used to describe it.
halajujah a victory for common sense - inoculate now i say
thank god they has seen the light
This decision is based on how many votes the government can get in the next election, just like they did with the hunting ban. To all you townies and city folk out there go and talk to a farmer and he will put you straight its not about the fox or the badger or the cow its all to do with appeasing the majority vote.
A.D. Fortunately we ‘townies and city folk’ fortunately have enough education to understand that this decision is based upon good science, rather than old wives’ tales.
Mich as I like badgers, I would have no objection to a controlled badger cull if the science supported it - but it doesn’t, so we need to look at other alternatives, such as vaccination. I accpet this is a problem and a huge worry for farmers, but we need to look for the solution as well as the cause in science.
Badgers aren’t to blame - neither are ‘townies and city folk’!
the badger cull has already started, you should see the a442 kiddy road this morning, its like a badger massacre
Badgers used to roam free until farmers started raising cows on their land. Now they want to kill the badgers so that they can produce milk and meat that no one wants to buy because it can be produced cheaper elsewhere.
Farming is the biggest single aspect of the benefit culture in this country. Recent reports show that culling farmers would benefit each taxpayer by £450. That’s how much you pay to keep these people making things no one wants.
We pay farmers wages. It’s time for them to do what WE want for our money. Leave the badgers alone and get a proper job, Farmer Giles.
wasted food and problem badgers - ive got it - lets all eat badger soup
I have a badget sett in my garden with seven in it, the latest depradation is coming up into my greenhouse under the grape vine almost putting paid to it, the one before this was coming up right in the centre (overnight) of a carefully manicured lawn causing a mini crater with soil piled almost 3 feet high. The time before this they almost demolished a 6′ interwoven fence panel to get into a vegetable patch. For all this - it is small trouble indeed compared to all the enjoyment we get out of them coming into the garden at dusk for their nightly feeds of peanuts and the like. Who can say that they have had badgers feeding at their feet whilst supping a can of beer or a glass of wine - all my family can.
Does anyone, including those from the Ministry wish to come into my garden and put them down because it would be a most unwise decision because before I entered the fray, my young grandaughter would have made them all turn tail and run. Leave the badgers alone, the farmers have done enough damage to the countryside without them making it like a wildlife wasteland.