| Old Codger 2008-02-18, 5:25 pm |
| Farmers heckle Benn over TB plans
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn has been heckled by farmers after he
suggested culling badgers may not be the answer to preventing TB in
cattle.
Mr Benn was told to "stop waffling" as he pledged to take a decision
based on science, its impact and practicality.
And he was booed as he said he would also have to take into account
public acceptability.
Tory leader David Cameron addressed the NFU's 100th conference as
well, and warned of future global food shortages.
National Farmers' Union President Peter Kendall urged Mr Benn to make
the "right decision" on culling badgers and to show political
leadership in explaining to the public the "absolutely devastating"
effect of the disease.
Audience boos
He urged Mr Benn not to adopt a "nimtoo" approach - "not in my term of
office".
Mr Benn said the call would be made "on my watch", based on the
science, impact of proposed measures, the practicalities and its
"public acceptability".
"I'm not waffling. I'm going to take a decision and we're going to
have to find a way forward
Hilary Benn
To boos from the audience he said: "Many of you don't think that's a
factor governments should take into account but I have to take it into
account alongside the other three tests."
The NFU says about 2,500 cattle a year get bovine tuberculosis and
some 30,000 stock are killed every year because of it.
But while cattle farmers may support a cull, a government consultation
of more than 47,000 people suggested that more than 95% of people
opposed it.
'Disappointing'
One angry farmer shouted that the government had done nothing to
tackle bovine TB in 10 years, adding: "Stop waffling."
Answering his heckler, Mr Benn said: "I'm not waffling. I'm going to
take a decision and we're going to have to find a way forward."
We face the potential prospect that the abundance of food that we all
take for granted will come to a crashing end
David Cameron
He said a 10-year study by the Independent Scientific Group on bovine
TB concluded that a badger cull could not "meaningfully contribute" to
control of the disease in cattle.
And he said he was awaiting a report by the Environment Food and Rural
Affairs select committee, due within weeks, before making a decision.
Mr Kendall said it was "disappointing" Mr Benn referred only to the
ISG report rather than one by former chief scientist Sir David King,
which drew different conclusions.
'Red tape'
Earlier, in his speech to the conference Conservative leader David
Cameron criticised the government's record on delivering the Single
Farm Payments subsidies, containing foot-and-mouth disease, on "red
tape" and its "arrogance" towards country life.
He also said the UK's self sufficiency in food production dropped from
72% in 1996 to 60% today and warned of a potential "food crunch" in
future.
More meat consumption in India and China, more bio fuels and climate
change are putting pressure on global grain supplies, the Tory leader
said.
"We face the potential prospect that the abundance of food that we all
take for granted will come to a crashing end," he said.
"Yet just as we are relying - indeed we are depending more and more -
on foreign farmers to fill our shopping bags, cupboards and fridges,
so the days of abundant food from around the world may well be coming
to an end."
He said British food production should be boosted to secure the
nation's food supply and outlined measures which could be taken to
protect British farmers.
These included stopping production subsidies across the whole of
Europe and reducing bureaucracy to create a "level playing field".
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/...ics/7251087.stm
Published: 2008/02/18 16:16:57 GMT
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