I am a farm worker, and this issue is personal to me and many others. It affects not only my livelihood but also the wellbeing of my farm animals, family, local community and surrounding farms as well as local wildlife. The current mandatory testing for tuberculosis in cattle is causing undue stress on our farming community, the farm animals, and local wildlife.  

The Department of Agriculture's requirement for frequent TB tests has been a burden on all farmers across the UK. These tests are not only costly but also disruptive to our operations. We have seen how these tests can cause unnecessary stress on our cattle and farming communities, which can lead to other health issues in cattle, unnecessary deaths and loss, and huge costs to farms and farming families, including the loss of many farms across the UK.

Moreover, there is growing evidence suggesting that the current testing methods may not be as effective as previously thought in controlling the spread of TB among cattle. A study published by the University College Dublin found that up to 20% of herds declared free of TB could still harbor infection (Source: University College Dublin).  TB exists in local wildlife from badgers to deer and even hedgehogs.  Culling has proven to work but is also very upsetting and disruptive to local wildlife, and costly!  We can not control local wildlife and the spread of TB among them and despite strict biosecurity and movement control of cattle, wildlife is a part of farming.  Badgers (and other TB carrying wildlife) don't understand 'social distancing'!  TB still manages to affect all types of cattle farming, from completely closed herds to herds that graze out all year round and herds that are kept in all year round.  The current mandatory TB testing is just not effective in controlling the spread of this disease.

We understand the importance of controlling disease spread among livestock; however, we believe there must be a more efficient and less intrusive method available or at least under development.  There is a vaccine available but currently it is not approved for use because it interferes with the current TB skin test.  If we stop the testing and allow the vaccine in cattle herds, it is believed that this will be much more effective in controlling the disease spread, as we currently do for many other diseases in both animals and people.

We urge the Department of Agriculture to review its policies regarding mandatory tuberculosis testing in cattle and explore alternative methods that are less stressful for both farmers, farming families, livestock, local communities, and local wildlife.

Please sign this petition if you support our call for change in these regulations affecting farms, farm animals, families, local communities, and local wildlife alike.