The government must implement its 25-year TB eradication strategy immediately and in full to ensure farmer support for it remains strong, NFU President Meurig Raymond said.
Mr Raymond said: “Farmers throughout the country have supported the strategy but are becoming frustrated at the lack of action surrounding the introduction of its various elements.
“The farming industry needs to see more urgency in the implementation of the whole strategy and better communication of its measures and aims. Now is the time to build on the determination of the farming industry to eradicate this disease which is destroying farming businesses and families.”
Mr Raymond said different elements of the strategy were urgently needed in different parts of the country and needed to be introduced as a matter of urgency.
“We need appropriate and proportionate measures to keep the disease out of the low risk area of England.
“We need more targeted measures to stop the spread in the edge area (between the high and low risk areas). In particular we need better information on the local infection rate in wildlife in this area.
“And we need further roll-out of the pilot culls in the high risk area. Farmers are committed to playing their part in this but need to see that commitment reciprocated by the government,” Mr Raymond said.
