News

In a statement Tom, the UUP vice-chairman of the Assembly’s DARD committee, said: "The reports coming from the Netherlands are of course worrying in nature, though I understand that the number of cattle involved is relatively small, somewhere in the region of a dozen, however such news does little to improve confidence in our exports and can lead to lost markets.

"The UK beef farmer struggled for a decade to regain export markets following the debacle that was BSE, then we had foot and mouth disease, we cannot afford to give markets another excuse to turn away our produce, and that is why a coherent and effective strategy to tackle Bovine TB, backed up by a strong willed and determined domestic Government, needs to be rolled out."

The news from Holland came little over a week since the UK Government’s Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn, announced his department’s plans for combating Bovine TB. This policy is set to include the development and use of cattle and badger vaccines, however the use of badger culls has been ruled out as a measure to help control the disease.

Tom continued: "Findings from the decade long study conducted by the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB show that existing measures are not working, while the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee have recommended that badger culls in high risk areas should be licensed as part of any policy.

"The implications that Bovine TB has on the agricultural sector, animal health, the public purse and also the potential public health concerns really does mean that this issue must be addressed with a robust policy based on facts. The fact that decisions taken in Whitehall have consequences, the ripples of which can be felt abroad in foreign markets, must not therefore be forgotten by those formulating policy."

Tom concluded: "To further endanger the beef industry with inaction or poorly directed policy with regards Bovine TB can have a wide ranging and devastating impact and as the events in Holland suggest our neighbours may not be so forgiving of these errors."