FAILURE OF LIVESTOCK DISEASE CONTROL FORCES FARMERS INTO A CORNER

1.56.24pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 1st Jul 2008

Nick Harvey, MP for North Devon, says:

‘The abject failure of the Government’s livestock disease control policy has effectively driven our farmers into a corner and now the NFU is calling for a Badger cull in an attempt to contain Bovine TB.

‘I am particularly alarmed at the news that infection rates will have doubled by 2010

‘The Independent Scientific Group stated that farmers need to take ownership of the problem rather than leaving it to the Government – I feel if that were the case most would have opted for the badger cull option long ago.

‘The Government’s livestock disease control has yet to show real focus or indeed produce positive results combating the scourge of Bovine TB.

‘The Government has a difficult decision to make, but make one it must; the cost to the tax payer of culling infected cattle is enormous. It is also impacting on beef and dairy production which sooner or later will impact on consumers.’