Mark Harries, a farmer in Wales, whose father was killed by a bull during bovine TB testing, has criticized the Welsh government’s farming proposals, calling them “not a step forward” in their eradication of the disease. Harries said the government does not understand the devastating impact of the disease, and suggested that a cull of badgers, not more government meetings, is needed. The proposals include mandating 10% of land for tree growing and the implementation of a bovine tuberculosis advisory group.
Maldwyn Harries, Mark’s father, was knocked unconscious and later died at the family farm near Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire in 2022. Harries believes that the family was just another statistic to the Welsh government and that the loss of their father did not have a significant impact on the government’s approach to TB. The Welsh government, however, stated that it is committed to eradicating bovine TB, and is looking at other approaches to on-farm slaughter.
Bovine TB is a fatal infectious disease that affects farm animals such as cattle and pigs and wild mammals such as badgers, foxes, and deer. Mr. Harries’ farm has already been clear of the disease for over a year but was locked down for over two years, losing 140 cows in the process. The proposed changes requiring farmers to allocate 10% of agricultural land to trees and another 10% to wildlife, according to Mark Harries, would not improve the situation. Rather, the cull of badgers must be implemented to curb the spread of the disease.
On Tuesday, the Welsh government appointed a Bovine TB Technical Advisory Group to examine the current on-farm slaughter policy. According to Plaid Cymru, the Senedd debate organized on the disease showed their frustration towards the Welsh government’s current TB policy. The progress made in the eradication of the disease in Wales remains a talking point, with some suggesting that the government has not done enough over the last decade
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