NFU backs badger cull

“The government needs to say that the cull is a bad desicion and stand by that so that everything can move forward.I think the NFU will then follow this.More urgency will then be put on to the vaccination of cattle and diva test.Why arent the MEP talking to EU about legislation of the DIVA test and pushig it through.Inspectors should be monitoring the farms to make sure biosecruity is tight.People like farmer Steve Jones should be fronting this.”

“NFU are totally out of touch with reality on this issue. Not only is the science against it. public opinion is against it and parliament voted against it and yet they are still hell bent on killing badgers for no good reason other than their selfish know it all attitude. So the fight goes on against the NFU. We still have the milk boycott card to play but do they really want to take it that far.
Tourists are cerainly not going to visit the area if it is not safe to go out for a walk at night for fear of being shot by mistake. Wake up NFU and come out of the dark ages.”

“On the Commons Debate: It's a good result; one that the government should pay heed to.”

“There is a very real danger that the badger cull has become a Trojan Horse for factions which aren't genuinely interested in what's best for the grassroots of the farming industry. We're seeing petulant responses, typical of those who think it is their birthright to use and abuse our wildlife as they please, regardless of public opinion. It could be we're witnessing the death throws of yesterday's men who still seem to think we live in a time when ONLY the landowners got to vote, a time when the landowners were the only lawmakers, a time when they could ride roughshod over everyone else with impunity. But these days it's 'one man one vote', independent of acreage, so canny political leaders should rein this lot in soon, if they know which side their bread is buttered.”

“"Farming leaders have said a badger cull must go ahead in Somerset and Gloucestershire next summer despite MPs voting against the scheme in a House of Commons motion yesterday."

Are the NFU prepared to cull the catttle at entirely at their own expense and are they prepared like other industries to pay their own losses instead of asking the taxpayer for compensation?

Ford it is to close the Southampton plant next summer with the loss of about 500 jobs. Does the NFU suggest we pay Ford compensation?

I thought not, it expects YOU the taxpayer to cough up; so why does it think our views as expressed through our MP's are of no consequence?

I personally support farmers being compensated for the loss of their cattle. I think that the level of compensation should be increased if it is a rare breed or organic animal involved as replacements cost an awful lot more.

But if the NFU wants to ignore the views of tax payers as expressed through their MP's then it should be willing to fund the whole bovine tb problem including compensation for slaughtered stock with its own cheque book. It's members are very quick to moan about anyone else receiving what it calls "hand-outs" and equally quick to ask for "hand-outs" of its own.

The American revolution of 1775 - 1773 was fought on the call of "no taxation without representation" it seems everyone knows of that slogan except the NFU”

“Quite obviously the NFU dont care a damn about destroying the tourist industry in those areas, not to mention democracy!”

“The NFU are being extraordinarily stubborn and short-sighted over this.

The public and the MPs have already told them there's no mandate for a badger cull. The scientists and economists have told them a cull won't reduce cattle bTB by more than a very small amount if it works at all; and that the whole exercise will cost everyone (particularly taxpayers) much more than it could possibly save.

The tighter cattle controls have already reduced bTB incidence by around 30% in the 12 months they've been established (that's twice the amount killing off 70% - 95% badgers in the cull areas would have produced over 4 years). New cattle regulations coming in Jan 2013 are likely to reduce the cattle bTB rates still further.

Why doesn't the NFU simply accept it's made a serious mistake in pushing for the badger cull and take the opportunity it now has to focus on activity better designed to help the struggling masses of small and medium-size farmers?”

“"Well they would, would'nt they", to coin a phrase”