Trials that have taken place have reduced incidence of bovine TB

Gardeners will understand perfectly how dry it has become with no significant rain for ni e weeks, but it does seem a shame that as soon as families plan their weekend, that rain arrives to spoil it for them.

We have been pumping dirty water for days, with great effect on silage aftermath, but we can only continue for a few more days, as the grass is now getting too long. It is three weeks since we cut and we are now halfway to the next cut, pencilled in for June 23.

We have the first group of cows grazing day and night, now that we have some proper grass growth.

All the young-stock are out at Tillington, and the sandy soil there was crying out for rain, although the grass is still growing strongly.

The maize crop has also benefited from the rain, and as there is more to come this week, we can plan our spray programme. The crop has been struggling for moisture and spraying was out of the question, but those cheeky weeds are in for a shock now.

An engineer arrived to fix the 'Bio-Digester', and just as we thought it took two minutes. All he had to do was adjust an electrical trip-switch, which was over sensitive and tripping early.

The frustration of waiting 10 days for this simple problem to be solved has been testing, but it does mean that the German engineers have now had their chance and failed to honour the contract, and we signed a maintenance contract with a British firm last week, without (crucially) losing our warranty.

Unfortunately, due to the problems, we will need to stop the engine this week for four days, whilst engineers change the turbo-charger oil-seals, which have been damaged by the many engine stops over the past ten days.

I spent two days in the Southwest of England last week, holding meetings with farmers in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.

We discussed all the usual subjects such as the new Government and the cuts being made to all departments of the Civil Service, prices, retail pressure, competitiveness, the rural economy and so on.

The meetings were as always dominated by bovine TB in cattle, and it's only when you visit these areas that one understands the full implication of the disease, and the obvious link with badger population.

One farm I visited had never been affected by bovine TB in the past, but recently the railway authorities arrived to remove a badger set which was undermining the rail track.

A new home was carefully constructed for the badgers, but of course they rejected it and moved into the farm, digging new setts in the fields where cattle graze; he has just gone down with a TB reactor in the herd.

One of the farmers at another meeting described the situation as a 'negative lottery'; you have either got bTB in the herd, you have had bTB in the herd, or you are going to get bTB in the herd.

It is a desperate state of affairs. Farmers who have bought in cattle from 'bTB free areas' to replace their culled cows on both closed and organic herds, have unwittingly bought in new diseases with those cattle, and most of the farmers I met are carrying huge numbers of replacements at significant cost in order to avoid buying in, whilst preparing for the worst.

Many in the counties told me that as soon as they have a clear test, the herd will be sold and milk production will cease on those farms.

Many admitted that growing maize for silage over the last 15 years or so has made matters much worse, as badgers feed on it and therefore breed and multiply more rapidly.

Most have now stopped growing maize in an attempt to control badger numbers; again affecting their financial performance.

Some farmers were in the position that I find myself in today, healthy cows and healthy badgers, but watching the disease approach whilst the last government and Hilary Benn did nothing.

Hilary Benn, who is now thankfully in opposition, was on the radio again the other day, blathering about sticking with the science, and how culling would make things worse, conveniently ignoring the excellent results in Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

Whilst talking of science, Hilary Benn has obviously not read the latest scientific reports, which now show clearly that the trials that took place, have indeed reduced the incidence of bTB in those areas.

Experts have updated the findings, and state that the results are 'consistent with a constant benefit of pro-active culling'.

More importantly, the effect of perturbation (badgers on the margins moving out of the trial areas, spreading the disease further) is now proven to be minimal, with a 36 per cent reduction in infection now shown in those areas.

Considering how 'average' government trials were at trapping and culling badgers in these areas, and how much disruption there was by so called welfare groups, who damaged and took away the cages, releasing badgers, it does show how effective a cull will be when done properly.

Farmers are rightly enraged when a method which virtually cleaned this country of bTB in the 1950s, is now opposed by a few misguided individuals and 'celebrities'.

Had it been carried out twenty years ago, far fewer badgers would have been killed and we would have been well on the way to eradication.

Given the dire state of affairs today, it will take many years, but we should see a significant fall in bTB cases on farms reasonably soon after culling begins. Meanwhile, my healthy cows and badgers can breathe a little easier.

Staying with non-farming friends in Gloucestershire on the way home, we went for a walk along one of the public footpaths, and suddenly we came across a wooden bridge, built at considerable expense and seemed to span nothing at all.

It was built by the local authority in order to cross over a badger path, so as not to disturb them.

Our friends then showed us how the badgers avoid going under the bridge (don't like i) and scrabble down the bank alongside this bridge with a neat hole under the fence where they push through.

The world has gone mad! To think that such a waste of money can take place, with so much ignorance involved; keep sharpening that axe Chancellor, there is room for more cuts yet!