Kaleb Cooper, who features in Jeremy Clarkson’s Amazon Prime Video series ‘Clarkson’s Farm’, has spoken out about the difficulties caused by bovine tuberculosis (TB) on his dairy cows.
Cooper took to Instagram today (Thursday, November 16), to describe the process of finding out that his herd has a reactor.
“So TB testing today at where I keep my dairy cows, as well as a friend of mine’s, helping him to run 240 cows through the crash.
“On the last four, one had a rector. One out of 240. “I mean the feeling… I can’t really describe the feeling when the vet says: ‘Kaleb’ or ‘reactor’.
“Sorry I can’t even speak now, but to anyone out there who is shut up with TB, or has got TB problems, I feel you and I’m with you.”
TB eradication
Last month, the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) stressed the need for continued effort from the UK government on bovine TB eradication.
The union called for the TB eradication strategy to be based on sound scientific evidence.
At a meeting with the minister for state for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Lord Benyon, the NFU called for the examining of the effectiveness of badger culling to be included as part of a holistic plan to aid the eradication of TB from England.
Deputy president of the NFU, Tom Bradshaw, said:
“The emotional, mental, and financial strain caused by this terrible disease is enormous… The current strategy, which includes wildlife control, is based on scientific research that shows a significant reduction of bTB in cattle.”
He added that the Birch review paper is a “strategy that is working”, which is why the union was concerned to hear reports that Shadow Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner said a Labour government will exclude culling within its strategy to make England bTB free.
“We have a joint ambition with government to be bTB free in England by 2038,” Bradshaw said.
“Cattle vaccination trials are underway, and a workable vaccine for cattle would be a significant tool to have as part of a range of measures to control bTB, if proved successful in the field.”