News
17th May 10
5/17/2010
Ulster Unionist Assembly member for Fermanagh & South Tyrone, Tom Elliott MLA has tabled an Assembly Question to Minister Michelle Gildernew if the Department is on track to meet the Programme for Government (PFG) to reduce the incidence of Brucellosis (B
Ulster Unionist Assembly member for Fermanagh & South Tyrone, Tom Elliott MLA has tabled an Assembly Question to Minister Michelle Gildernew if the Department is on track to meet the Programme for Government (PFG) to reduce the incidence of Brucellosis (BR) by 20% and Tuberculosis (TB) by 27% by 2011. Tom said: “In her reply she states a 27% reduction in TB incidence, would require the incidence of TB in herds to be reduced to 3.9% by March 2011. The current incidence is 5.4% (at end of February 2010 and it is unlikely this aspect of target will now be met. The effect of this is expected to be that the PFG targets will not be met. I agree with the UFU that it is pointless to continue with the current situation where cattle go down with TB, the animals are slaughtered, and the farm re-stocks and eventually goes down again with TB because the disease remains on the farm, possibly in wildlife. The incidence of the disease is higher now than it was in 1997 and again demonstrates that the current policy is not working. Statistics show that 8,000 cattle were culled in 2009 as TB reactors in Northern Ireland and the disease costs the taxpayer around £20 million per year. It is now time that the Minister makes progress towards eradicating TB by following the example of other countries and listen to British Veterinary Association who have advocated “humane”, targeted and managed culling in specific areas where badgers are regarded as a significant contributor to the persistent presence of TB. In these harsh economic times neither the farmer or taxpayer wants £20 million to be spent annually with no prospect of these costs being reduced in the foreseeable future.”
Back to other news articles...
