Letter: Control of badgers urged to halt the misery of bovine TB

Bovine TB continues to bring misery to farmers in many parts of the country and it is absolutely clear that culling badgers in areas where the disease is rife has to be a central element of any policy to control and eradicate it.

Owen Paterson, the Secretary of State and MP for North Shropshire, has been instrumental in getting us to the point where we have seen pilot badger cull pilots take place in Somerset and Gloucestershire. His determination to deliver this vital and necessary part of the policy to get rid of bovine TB has been welcomed by farmers facing the ever-present threat of this disease. I'm sure he is as disappointed as we are at the decision not to roll out the culls on a wider scale.

It would appear that, despite Mr Paterson's best efforts, we, as an industry, have been let down by political decisions that have been influenced more by next year's general election than the pressing need to tackle a disease which is spreading and bringing misery to so many.

I see, and hear about, the misery that bovine TB is inflicting on farm businesses on an almost daily basis. It is heart-breaking to see the emotional impact on hardworking farming families as cattle of all ages – often the result of years of careful breeding – are taken away for slaughter. But until this disease is tackled in wildlife these farmers are helpless to protect their businesses and livelihoods.

There were 4,815 new herds infected with TB in Great Britain in 2013 and 32,620 cattle were compulsorily slaughtered. This is unacceptable. We want to see healthy cattle, healthy badgers and a healthy countryside and the only way we will achieve this is by tacking the disease on all fronts, including in badgers.

The NFU remains committed to seeing badger controls carried out in more areas where TB is rife and we will continue to work with Secretary of State to see how we can drive this policy forward.

David Mills, NFU Shropshire County Chairman