THE PLIGHT of West Devon farmers whose businesses are suffering as a result of bovine TB, a disease which is now ?spreading out of control? in the South West, was highlighted at Downing Street yesterday. West Devon and Torridge MP Geoffrey Cox and local farming leaders were in London to deliver 1,500 letters from farmers in the region. Cases of bovine TB are on the increase with somewhere in the region of 400 fresh cases in Devon this year. More than 3,000 cattle have been slaughtered and movement restrictions on many farms are causing huge financial losses to the industry. Government surveys have concluded that there is convincing evidence badgers are a source of infection for cattle. But the proportion of cases in cattle that are due to badgers cannot be calculated. The West Devon delegation, which included representatives from Hatherleigh and Okehampton NFU and Bill Harper from the National Beef Association, also met Ben Bradshaw, the Exeter MP who has responsibility within Defra for Government policy on bovine TB, to discuss the issue. Mr Cox said: ?Now the election is over we must see a greater will from ministers to act to control bovine TB. ?The government will be irresponsible if it continues to ignore the urgent necessity, among other measures, of taking action to tackle the reservoir of infection in the wildlife population, which all experts recognise is a significant cause of the disease in cattle. ?We cannot go on spending hundreds of pounds not curing the disease.? Chairman of Hatherleigh and Okehampton NFU and Northlew farmer Paul Griffiths, whose animals have been under movement restrictions for five years, said it was time something was done. He said it was hard to find a farm in the Okehampton area at the moment which was not under restrictions. He said: ?The disease is spreading out of control with a 25 per cent increase of cases on last year but the Government keeps making excuses. ?For the sake of all wildlife it is urgent something is done now because the disease is spreading to other animals like the deer. ?There is no vaccine and the government seems to be happy to keep culling cattle whilst it leaves the badger, because some people feel the badger should be protected whatever.? Mr Griffiths said the disease was costing the government £100-million a year with bovine TB tests, vets? bills and so on, and meanwhile more and more farms were being driven out of business. ?It is a real crisis.? Wildlife campaigners say it is the movement of cattle around the country that is spreading the disease and will fight tooth and nail to stop the extermination of badgers.
