Bovine TB measures must be mandatory (From Worcester News)

Bovine TB measures must be mandatory

2:00pm Tuesday 12th July 2011 in Read

SIR – Harriett Baldwin quizzed Agriculture Minister Jim Paice about bovine TB (Worcester News, July 5), concerned about its impact on wildlife.

It would surely help the situation enormously if the bio-security measures which are currently only voluntary were made compulsory.

According to a Viva!

investigation of livestock markets around the highincidence area of Wales where they were due to start killing badgers, most of the farmers don’t even use the disinfectant foot dips provided for them that would help prevent disease being carried in and out of the market.

If this free facility, the use of which is supposedly legally binding, is ignored they are hardly going to bother with other measures that carry a cost unless they are made mandatory.

ROBERTA BALFOUR
Malvern