UFU Withdraws From TB Talks
NORTHERN IRELAND, UK - Ulster Farmers’ Union President John Thompson has officially ended the Union’s membership of the core bovine tuberculosis (TB) Stakeholders group saying that: “Until DARD take decisive action to tackle the serious issue of TB in wildlife the UFU can see no point of remaining on this stakeholders group.”
12 December 2011
1 minute read
mR Thompson continued; “Earlier this month, the UFU submitted its response to DARD consultation on TB and Brucellosis compensation rates where we opposed DARD’s proposals to cap compensation payment rates.
"The UFU clearly stated that until DARD started to make some meaningful movement on the issue of TB in wildlife the UFU could not support any changes. While considering DARD’s proposals we began to seriously question both the effectiveness of the TB core stakeholder group and our position on it.
“In 2008 the then Minister of Agriculture Michelle Gildernew outlined DARD’s three strand strategy for tackling TB and while DARD have taken some action to deliver on two of the strands they have repeatedly failed to make any significant progress on addressing TB in wildlife.
"This is extremely frustrating for farmers here in Northern Ireland given that there has been little change in the level of Bovine TB here. We have only been able to stand back and watch as other regions move ahead with tackling this costly disease by at least committing to tackling all sources of the disease.
“Farmers are fed up talking about TB and want to see decisive action taken, so until DARD take the necessary steps to address the wildlife TB reservoir we can see no benefit to the UFU participating on the TB stakeholders group.”
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