FFA welcome Poots’ plan to tackle bTB

Whilst FFA’s Steering Committee support the move, they warned that this is only light at the end of the tunnel for a cull of infected badgers and have written to the Minister requesting a date for when he anticipates the cull will actually begin on the ground.

Sean McAuley, FFA Steering Committee stated: “It’s a change of direction from the Department for Agriculture squandering EU money for years as uncovered by FFA in not implementing a bTB eradication policy thereby leaving family farmers reeling from repeated TB outbreaks to date.

“Assuming the current direction of travel by Minister Poots obtains green lights all the way eventually - then the Department for Agriculture and only the Department for Agriculture must take responsibility for the cull of infected badgers as is their duty to properly manage disease outbreaks and not be allowed to side-slip their responsibilities in suggesting already that farmers if qualified could carry out operations themselves or source suitable qualified labour for the tasks involved.”

McAuley insisted this would ‘conveniently leave the Department with others to blame for any cull of infected badger backlash or mistakes which is not acceptable’. FFA have made Minister Poots aware of this in their letter.

“For decades the Department has fudged the bTB issue and squandered EU and UK taxpayers money and to add insult to injury now suggesting that farmers may have to start paying for the cull is totally unacceptable and like paying insurance on your car and then having to pay again for the costs of an accident,“ FFA said in a statement.