The Farmers’ Union of Wales has welcomed an announcement from the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, that the Bovine TB Eradication Programme Board has now been established.
This news completes the revised governance structure following the formation of the Bovine TB Technical Advisory Group earlier this year.
The FUW welcomes the news that the Programme Board has been established following the formation of the Technical Advisory Group earlier this year and that letters of appointment have been sent.
With strong representation from farmers and industry bodies, including the FUW, the group will work closely with the Technical Advisory Group and provide strategic advice to Huw Irranca-Davies on the eradication of bovine TB in Wales.
The statement (12 August) states that the early priorities of the Board will include agreeing its ‘ways of working,’ terms of reference and consideration of the Technical Advisory Group’s advice in relation to the 6-yearly review of Wales’ TB eradication targets. In addition, the Board will also explore how to improve communication and engagement with farmers and vets.
Whilst the FUW welcomes the announcement by Huw Irranca-Davies, cattle keepers continue to be shackled by this on-going disease.
In 2022, FUW analysis estimated that the total cost of bovine TB pre-movement testing borne by cattle keepers in Wales was more than £2.3 million. A staggering 11,197 animals were slaughtered in the 12 months to March 2024.
Wales continues to see a lack of clarity and leadership in dealing with this disease in wildlife, evidence from the first 52 badger cull areas in England shows that rates of bovine TB breakdowns in cattle are down by 56% on average after four years of culling. Farmers, as ambassadors of the countryside, also want to see healthy and prosperous wildlife populations here in Wales.
Farming families hit by bovine TB on their farms are emotionally traumatised by this disease. Many of the FUW’s members have spoken out publicly in recent months to raise awareness of the daunting effects this disease has had on their families, their businesses and their livestock.
As a Union, the FUW is keen to play its part and work closely with both the Eradication Programme Board and the Technical Advisory Group in reviewing important matters relevant to bovine TB eradication. These include areas such as the appropriateness of current testing regimes and methods in which disease transmission by wildlife could be addressed.