I would like to thank my neighbour for his kind words in December. It is pleasing to know that there is at least one person who reads what I right.
A major concern for many farmers particularly in this area is TB. If you keep dairy or beef cattle you have to have a test for TB on the whole herd every year, or after 6 months if there has been an outbreak on a neighbouring farm.
At a routine test in December 1997 we were found to have 19 reactors which all had to be slaughtered. Most of them were home bred, and 8 were in there first lactation. Having reared them from birth it was heartbreaking to see them taken away especially as they all appeared to be perfectly healthy. Fortunately, as well as MAFF compensation we were insured, so we were compensated reasonably well financially.
Once you have a breakdown you have to be tested every 2 months. In the meantime you are put under restriction, which means you cannot move anything on to or off the farm, except if it is going for slaughter. When you have had 2 successive clear tests the restrictions are lifted. We are clear now, but I know it is possible we could have another outbreak in the near future.
For many years it has been considered by most vets that the most likely cause of TB spreading is badgers. In over 90% of TB outbreaks, TB-infected badgers have been found on or near the infected farm. The policy for many years was to destroy these badgers and this policy kept the spread of TB under control.
Not surprisingly, there are those who are opposed to badgers being destroyed. Although badgers are implicated by strong circumstantial evidence, it has not been possible to prove conclusively and scientifically that badgers are the cause of TB in cattle.
Despite the fact that when infected badgers are removed totally the incidence of TB falls considerably, the Government, under pressure from the pro-badger lobby, stopped the slaughter of all badgers in May 1997. Since then the number of new outbreaks has risen sharply, and in the past year 3,500 cattle have been slaughtered due to TB.
The Government commissioned Professor Krebs to produce a report which he has now done. In his recommendations he suggested that trials be set up over a 5-year period in TB `hot-spots'. As you probably know, we are in a trial area. Each trial is divided into three. Area 1 (Putford and East Bradworthy) will have all badgers slaughtered. Area 2 (Hartland and some of Bradworthy) will be pro-active culling, which means slaughtering infected badgers on farms where there is an outbreak. Area 3 (Stratton and Bude) is a `control' area where nothing will be done.
The idea is to find out conclusively whether or not badger culling is effective.
The experiment is unpopular in area 1 with the pro-badger people - but also in area 3 with the farmers.
I get very frustrated with people who are totally opposed to any badgers being slaughtered, but who don't seem to care how many cattle are slaughtered. It is very important that everybody co-operates with the experiment, so that a solution can be found to eradicate this very serious disease.