Bovine TB: Call for more action as cattle slaughtered

The first minister was "cruel" to say increases in bovine TB were down to farmers moving infected cattle, a dairy farmer who had to have 42 animals put down has said.

Last month in the Senedd, Mark Drakeford said the "single greatest reason" why bovine TB had risen in some areas was because of "farmers buying infected cattle and bringing them into the area".

Abi Reader, who said her farm in the Vale of Glamorgan had been locked down with TB for three years, said the comments felt "like sticking the knife in and then twisting it".

The Welsh government said "epidemiological assessment" had shown eight in 10 outbreaks in areas with low prevalence of the disease were "primarily attributable" to cattle movements.

14 July 2021