In a comment piece published on Friday, the newspaper said Owen Paterson, also MP for North Shropshire, has a 'straightforward view’ on an ‘agent of misery’. It added it hoped the pilot culls in Somerset and Gloucestershire would ‘provide answers’ and touched upon possible extensions to the policy.
The leader also highlighted public sentiment about badgers as a driver of opposition rather than a knowledge of, or interest in, the mechanics of bovine TB.
The Star included the story of TB Free England case study Mervin Mullard, who met Mr Paterson on Thursday. Read the comment piece below.
Star comment: Owen Paterson putting badger cull words into action (published August 9)
Shropshire’s man at the Cabinet table, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson, has talked up the possibility that the controversial badger culling scheme could come to parts of this county next year.
Mr Paterson has nailed his colours to the mast firmly on this issue. He is with the farmers.
With pilot culls due in Somerset and Gloucestershire soon, he says that North Shropshire is an appropriate place for an extension of the culling programme. And as he is at the centre of power, his words have a lot of weight.
Bovine TB is an agent of misery for farmers, cattle and badgers themselves. A case study is the experience of Mervin Mullard, who has run a farm near Bishop’s Castle for 25 years. In the last five years he has lost 133 out of 200 cows to bovine TB.
He has had enough and is soon to call it a day. He likes badgers, but blames them for infecting his cattle.
Outside the farming and wider agricultural community, there is a combination of ignorance and lack of interest. But talk about culling badgers, and people prick their ears up.
They are the lovely creatures of children’s books. There is strong sentiment in their favour.
When it comes to bovine TB, Mr Paterson says: “Everybody knows that the problem is, that’s the stupid thing about it... It is idiotic if we do not attack the disease in the badgers as well as in the cattle. It is in the interests of badgers that we remove this horrible disease.”
There are arguments about whether a cull is really an effective way of tackling the problem. The pilot culls will, it has to be hoped, provide some answers.
For Shropshire’s farmers, there is at least some cause for quiet satisfaction and reassurance.
They now have a man in the hot seat who is their champion, has a clear and straightforward view, and is prepared to back up his fine words with practical actions.
From TB Free England - see also:
- TB: Paterson gets an on-farm view
Beef farmer Mervin Mullard got the opportunity to discuss the impact of bovine TB with Defra Secretary of State Owen Paterson when Mr Paterson visited his farm in Shropshire.
- Vet's TB letter read 10,000 times
A vet’s emotional letter detailing the impact of bovine TB has been read by more than 10,000 people on Facebook.