Badger Cull

James farms Dairy Shorthorns east of Kendal, Cumbria, with his parents Kathleen and Henry, wife Michelle and sons Robert and Chris. The fifth generation to farm at Strickley, he is also vice-chair of the Nature Friendly Farming Network

The Department for Agriculture, environment and rural affairs have issued a proposal to reduce the compensation rate for cattle removed under the bovine Tuberculosis programme

Normally the family aim to milk a herd of around 120 cows, but at the moment they are only milking 70 cows

This week's letters from FG readers

He said the cull would continue in the short term, adding there was enough reason to see it was a way of ‘preventing transmission'. But he added it was not a ‘sustainable answer to the problem' and wanted to work with farmers to develop the cattle vaccine

Dairy farmer Susie Mottershead said Joyce Watson's MS comments that dairy farmers with chronic TB should find another business was a kick in the teeth. "Never have I felt the mental health of farmers be so completely disregarded. We are that chronic bTB farm," she said

The Government's commitment to continue with the badger cull has been criticised by NFU as 'just warm words' which must be backed up in writing with a policy change

Joyce Watson's comments in the Senedd last week that dairy farms with perpetual TB 'should find another business' sparked fury amongst Welsh farmers and unions

Livestock farmers in Wales angry after Labour member for Mid and West Wales, Joyce Watson MS said dairy farms with 'perpetual TB should find another business'

Wales' Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths said ‘steady progress' was being made in tackling bovine TB, but 'good biosecurity' on-farm was the best way to keep infection out