CATTLE farmers have welcomed a new badger culling debate following the announcement of a Government consultation to tackle bovine TB.

Worcestershire stock holders have broadly welcomed a proposal to re-introduce culls in selected “hotspot” areas.

The national cost of TB to the Government is running at more than £60 million, mostly through compensation to farmers who are forced to destroy infected cattle.

To cattle and dairy farmers there is the loss of valuable genestock, built over generations, the upset of losing herd members and the general upheaval of a stringent testing process.

The Government is consulting on a proposal to issue licences to farmers who wish to cull and vaccinate badgers at their own expense, subject to “strict criteria”, according to agriculture minister Jim Paice.

Worcestershire farmers say the infection problem has become “far worse” in the last 20 years with most stockmen having at least one bout of herd testing by Government vets every year.

Tim Jones, county NFU chairman and a farmer in Tenbury Wells, said: “Bovine tuberculosis is a devastating disease and is a huge burden on farmers.

“Cases have increased consistently for 10 to 15 years and it has been left to run rampant.”

He stressed culling diseased badgers should be “part of a package of measures” including testing, stock control, farm security and possible vaccination.

Rob Adams farms at Aston Hall Farm in White Ladies Aston, near Worcester, and keeps 60 cattle, mostly Herefords. He said: “I support a cull – there’s got to be a balance and since the protection of badgers we’ve seen a population explosion.

“Second, there’s a recession on and it is costing the Government an awful lot of money compensating for culled livestock.”

He said the upheaval of testing and any quarantine measures could push farmers out of business.

Adrian Darby keeps 60 pedigree Red Poll cattle on his farm at Kemerton Court, near Bredon, and said stopping TB did not begin and end with culling badgers.

“I’m not against a cull in principle but having farmers doing it in a piecemeal way will not solve what is a serious problem,” he said.

“Culling could work if it can be effective, but you must cull all the infected badgers in an area which is extremely difficult.”

He warned that if not done properly, there was the risk of cull survivors from diseased badger setts wandering the countryside spreading infection.

Mr Darby said badgers were not the only carriers, and a cull would not deal with the problem of deer who also carry TB infecting any healthy badgers.

The Worcestershire Wildlife Trust said it was “concerned” by the proposals adding their was “no single solution” to the problem.