UNITED KINGDOM.
TB IN CATTLE REACHES CRISIS POINT.
According to the National Beef Association (NBA), there has been a 10% decline in the number of farms in England allowed to sell cattle and calves for fattening or breeding, meaning they are only allowed to sell for slaughter because of TB restrictions on their farms.
According to Ken Haywood, of the NBA, there are around 55,000 calves unaccounted for, between June and October this year, that are presumed to have been bull dairy calves that have been disposed by the farmers.
This figure could be 20% by 2009, according to Ken. There are around 8,000 farms in the United Kingdom listed as affected by TB, as the problem seems to be getting worse.
From January 1 the threshold has been raised for the testing of BSE in cattle, from 30 months to 48 months, which is seen a reasonable by most of the farming associations and welcome news.
The Department of Environment and Rural Affairs DEFRA, have been accused in some quarters, of being so busy chasing the mice in regards to BSE, they have missed the elephants in regards to TB.
