Killer disease back with vengeance

Seemingly eradicated from Britain 50 years ago, bovine TB has come back with a vengeance to haunt farmers across Shropshire and the rest of the country, reports Rural Affairs Editor Nathan Rous.

No-one is sure where the disease will strike, all they know is that it will.

The figures make astonishing reading: In 1997, 47 cows were slaughtered in Shropshire as a result of bovine TB. In 2007 that figure had risen to 1,042 and this year it is expected to break the 1,500 barrier.

With the rise in livestock deaths comes the inevitable rise in stress levels for the farmers who become prisoners on their own land.

Restrictions mean weekly markets, in some cases the only social opportunity for farmers, are no-go areas.

Others are shunned: bovine TB has such severe connotations in these parts that no-one wants to be associated with it.

The leaked decision by the Government not to cull badgers, seen by many in farming as the culprit, has added to the pain and misery.

Bishop's Castle farmer Mervin Mullard has lost nearly 100 cattle since bovine TB first arrived on his farm last April and is likely to lose dozens more before the disease is brought under control.

And he's not alone. The stories of animals suffering and farms brought to a standstill resonate across the hills and valleys.

NFU president Peter Kendall is outraged by the lack of action.

"Last year saw 28,000 cattle culled with TB, and already in the first quarter of 2008 another 13,500 cattle have been lost.

"This sort of needless waste of productive animals is unacceptable and calls into question the Government's attitude not only to food security but also to animal welfare," he said.

South Shropshire MP Philip Dunne, also condemned the Government.

"As a livestock farmer myself, I have first-hand experience of the impact Bovine TB can have on farmers and their families. Six of my cattle tested positive this winter and the farm remains subject to movement restrictions," he said.

Mr Dunne added: "No government should sit idly by, allowing taxpayers to pick up the bill, while wringing its hands and doing nothing."

For all the threats of legal action, little other than a ch- ange of Government would have an impact. Even then a decision that takes on the wildlife lobby is braver in re- ality than thoughts on paper.