Latest culls ‘effective’ in battle against bovine TB

MORE THAN 32,500 badgers being killed in the latest culls, which have been effective enough “to be confident of improved disease control” in the fight against bovine TB, according to Natural England.

Announcing the results of culls in 30 areas of the country between September and November, Farming Minister George Eustice said the action was helping to “achieve and maintain long-term reductions in the level of TB in cattle across the South West and Midlands” where the cattle disease risk is most acute.

Culls also took place in Cumbria and Cheshire.

UK chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss said there had been a 50 per cent fall in the number of new confirmed cattle “breakdowns” in the first areas to trial culls and that culling should continue in these areas for the remainder of existing licences.

Culls should be carried out in 2019 and the following two years in 10 other areas, she said.

Mr Eustice announced that farms in parts of the ‘edge area’ that have stayed clear of the disease for at least six years able will revert to annual rather than six-monthly testing from May next year.

He also said £25,000 will be invested in improving the TB Hub website which provides information on the disease, while a new round of grant funding was confirmed to help private companies carry out badger vaccinations in the edge area.

He said a survey will be carried out in the new year to better understand what farms are doing to limit their risk of the disease.

More than 33,000 cattle were slaughtered in England last year because of bovine TB.

Stuart Roberts, vice president of the NFU, said farmers are securing feed stores, double fencing fields and preventing wildlife accessing buildings to halt the spread of the disease.