The next Welsh Government must make “drastic changes” to bovine TB (bTB) policy to give Wales’ next generation of farmers “hope of a future without the threat of the disease”, according to National Farmers Union (NFU) Cymru.
Ahead of the upcoming Senedd elections, NFU Cymru is urging future Welsh government officials to take a “robust, evidence-driven approach” to eradicating the disease within the country, as over 11,000 cattle were slaughtered in 2025 due to bTB.
Roger Lewis, chair of NFU Cymru’s bTB focus group, highlighted the “huge strain” that bTB places on the Welsh farming sector, with Lewis having past experience dealing with the disease on his own farm.
He said: “We cannot continue slaughtering thousands of cattle each year, whilst leaving the disease in wildlife unaddressed.
“Behind these figures lies the anguish experienced by farming families across Wales who deal with this disease, or the threat of this disease, on a daily basis.”
Approach
For Lewis, the “clear evidence of a link between bovine TB in wildlife and cattle” cannot be ignored within the next government’s approach to tackling bTB.
He noted: “The next Welsh Government should adopt a targeted approach – one which deploys the right intervention, whether that be culling or vaccination, in the right way and at the right time.
“We must be guided by the local disease picture on the ground and tackle the disease wherever it exists.
“In addition, the stringent cattle control and testing regime will continue to play an incredibly important role in controlling this disease,” the chair of the bTB focus group added.
Lewis also emphasised the importance of good farm biosecurity to protect the herds in the country which are currently TB-free.
NFU Cymru
Lewis’ message to the next Welsh government forms part of NFU Cymru’s Growing Forward manifesto, which includes a video series with its members, outlining policy asks.
A video of Lewis discussing the impacts of bTB can be found on NFU Cymru’s website, alongside other entries to the series from different members of the union.
The upcoming Senedd elections are set to be held on May 7 in Wales.