Assembly urged to act on TB cull

9:00am Friday 5th September 2008

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The Welsh Assembly must stop “shilly-shallying” around and start the test cull of badgers as soon as possible, it was agreed at a meeting between Conservative politicians and FUW officials.

Top of the agenda at the meeting held during the Pembrokeshire County Show to discuss urgent problems facing farmers today was bovine TB.

The Welsh Assembly announced months ago that a test cull of badgers would take place as part of its TB eradication programme, but no further details have been announced.

“It’s important that as soon as we get back to the Assembly we press the minister to take some action, this has been going on for too long,” said Preseli Pembrokeshire AM Paul Davies.

Shadow rural affairs minister Brynle Williams, who was also present at the meeting, added: “We want to know what area the test cull is going to be in and when it is going to happen.

“There has been enough shilly-shallying around for the last ten years about this.”

Conservative Parliam-entary candidate for South Pembrokeshire Simon Hart said: “We all applauded the Welsh Assembly’s decision to take a stand on bovine TB and carry out this cull, but we now need some evidence that it will take place soon.”

Also up for discussion at the meeting was the introduction of a new electronic sheep tagging system.

The EU requirement which makes it compulsory for all sheep born after the end of 2009 to carry a chip (either in eartags or boluses) which can be scanned by electronic readers.

“I don’t think people have fully comprehended what this will mean,” sheep farmer Wyn Jones from Boncath told the meeting.

“We are hearing figures of £10,000 to £15,000 per farm to put this in place.

“It will cost the industry a lot for something that we don’t need.”