Badger culling delay a blow, say NFU
The decision to delay the controversial culling of thousands of badgers to tackle tuberculosis in cattle until next summer will come as a devastating blow to farmers in Shropshire, agricultural bosses said today.
The National Farmers Union said yesterday’s announcement to delay the two badger cull pilots expected this autumn was exceptionally difficult, but on balance was responsible and right.
But Peter Kendall, NFU president, said he understood the news would not be welcomed by farmers who are desperate for a solution to the cycle of reinfection of TB in their cows.
Environment Secretary and North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson told MPs yesterday that culling was originally delayed by the Olympics and legal proceedings.
He said it was now delayed by bad weather and the news that there were more badgers in the cull areas than previously estimated.
Mr Kendall said: “The NFU and its members take their responsibilities on this issue extremely seriously and I know there will be many who are devastated by the news.
“For those that have suggested that this cull is irresponsible, I think the decision shows that this is simply not the case.
“Postponement is the most responsible thing to do.”
Comments for: "Badger culling delay a blow, say NFU"
Act now
Best start vaccinations for the badgers soon then! :)
v green
it is wrong to cull the poor badgers ,no need for it im sure there are other ways to protect the cattle ,cats and dog ect can be vaccinated so why carnt the cattle the farmers want to protect
Kelly
Wildlife has a tough enough time surviving without obese farmers shooting it from their Range Rovers.
hedgehog
Tough times , there are 60% more badgers than first thought in the cull areas. Farmers weren't doing the shooting either, trained marksmen were going to be used. This is all hypothetical as the cull was never going to happen because it would have been political suicide for all concerned.
L Brown
Instead of being miffed that farmers don't get carte blanche to shoot 70% of a population when we don;t know what the total population number is. They could investigate the work of Dick Roper, who was a farmer in an area heavily affected by bTB. He realised that the maize being grown now is low in Selenium, cattle are given supplements to combat this but Badgers aren't. So he placed mineral licks laced with Selenium around his farm. And after decades of bTB infections they ceased, on another property where he kept cattle he didn't place these mineral licks and the cattle contracted bTB. It's got to be worth a try rather than a completely ineffective and murderous method that would result in a 16% decrease. If you were given the option of having an elective operation that would have a 16% survival rate would you? No it's not nearly high enough a percentage to be justifiable. And how do the NFU explain the presence of bTB in cattle on the Isle of Man where there are no badgers?!