The Anglican Bishop of Exeter has called on the government to take immediate action in its fight against bovine TB.Bovine TB has escalated in recent years and the Bishop of Exeter, the Rt Rev Michael Langrish, says the rural economy of Devon is beginning to suffer.
In a joint letter to Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Bishop and other leaders from the county have called for urgent action to halt the spread of the disease “before we see livestock disappearing from our countryside”.
Latest figures from Defra suggest that there were 824 incidents of TB amongst herds in the county last year, resulting in 6,358 cattle being slaughtered compared to 5,388 in 2007 and 4,471 in 2006.
The letter explained that the increase was, “causing misery and distress to thousands of farming families and bringing many to the edge of despair.”
It also argued that the current systems in place to manage the disease were ‘simply not working’.
The letter went on to say: “At a time when there is growing concern about food security we simply cannot afford to go on killing productive cattle at a cost of millions of pounds to the taxpayer, and posing a very real threat to the future viability of the county’s beef and dairy industry. Such livestock is not only used for food production but is invaluable in the management of the countryside and upland areas, both for biodiversity and as a vital component of tourism in the county.”
It finished by calling on the government to act swiftly. “We urge you to take immediate and decisive action, Devon simply cannot wait any longer.”
In addition the bishop the letter was signed by the John Lee, of Devon County Agricultural Association, Louise Twigg, principal of Bicton College, and Professor Michael Winter of Exeter University, amongst other signatories.
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(Source: RI)