In the Senedd Chamber this week, Labour MS for Mid and West Wales, Joyce Watson, angered Wales’ farming community by saying:
“If we’re talking about a rethink, Minister, have you looked at any farms that have perpetual TB status, and have you considered the question of whether those particular farms should be dairy farms at all? Because if it is the case that they are in perpetual TB infection status, surely they need to find another business.”
“Bovine TB has been a scourge on Welsh agriculture for well over a decade and successive Welsh Labour Governments, propped up by Plaid Cymru, have failed to get to grips with this disease.
“Labour are not taking Bovine TB seriously, proved this week when a Labour backbencher, representing Wales' largest rural electoral region, called for dairy farmers to ‘find another business’ if they have been under TB restrictions for a long period of time. This shows a complete lack of empathy for the farming community suffering with the consequences of the Labour Government and Plaid Cymru’s lack of progress on Bovine TB eradication.
"Plaid have failed to stand up for farmers under the Co-operation Agreement with the Labour Government. Despite Plaid’s warm words they’ve done nothing to improve the situation through the agreement with the Labour Government. Enough is enough, the Labour Government and Plaid Cymru are failing to grab this situation by the scruff of the neck and do what is necessary to eradicate TB.”
