Agreed approach on partnership offers industry fistful of opportunities

Agreed approach on partnership offers industry fistful of opportunities to construct effective TB control policy with government.

Cattle industry stakeholders have backed the National Beef Association’s assertion that nothing can be gained, and much could be lost, by turning down an opportunity to work alongside government – providing it is genuine about establishing a long term control and eradication policy on bovine TB in England.

A clear majority of representatives from organisations who attended the stakeholder meeting called by the English NFU last Friday (July 18th) have agreed that the cattle industry should participate in Defra’s proposed TB Partnership Group as long as the group is able to set its own agenda, can examine all aspects of the TB issue, and can make its own recommendations to the Secretary of State, Hilary Benn.

“The press release issued earlier this afternoon by the NFU on behalf of stakeholders confirms this in Item 5 of its Notes to Editors,” said Association vice-chairman, Frank Momber. 

“The NBA is pleased with this development because its view always was that it would be impossible for cattle sector representatives to begin partnership discussions with government unless inputs had equal weighting and all parts of the TB issue, including badger culling, could be properly examined.”
“Indeed it is impossible to see how the Partnership Group’s activities could be termed a “partnership” unless the style of mutual engagement outlined by the industry stakeholders in Item 5 of their agreement applied.”

“Discussions with Mr Benn, immediately after his disappointing announcement that badger culling had yet again been deferred, clearly indicate that he wants to work with industry on a joint plan to tackle to TB and that he would be open minded about any conclusions the Partnership Group might reach.”
“In our view participation in a TB Partnership Group with Defra, in the manner outlined by industry stakeholders, offers the cattle industry a fistful of opportunities to take all aspects of the TB issue forward and construct an overpowering case that organised badger culling, as mapped out in the NBA’s VLA9 proposals in North Cornwall-South Devon, is an essential component of a national strategy to curb TB spread and then eradicate the scourge altogether.”

“It is now up to industry stakeholders to make sure government agrees to the TB Partnership Group being put together in the manner they have outlined and that the first meeting of this newly formed group takes place as soon as possible because the case for doing so could not be more urgent,” Mr Momber added.

For more information contact:
Frank Momber, NBA vice-chairman.  Tel 07831 393543