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Editorial: England Unveils Plans For Badger Cull

The British government announced plans yesterday to go ahead with a licensed badger cull in England.

After a thorough review of the options available to control bovine tuberculosis (TB), Environment Secretary, Caroline Spelman said: “We already have a robust set of cattle controls in place, but we need to accept that in some parts of the country they just aren’t enough.

"Unless we tackle each and every transmission route, including from badgers to cattle, we are likely to see the situation deteriorate further."

Whilst a cull has been welcomed by many in the industry, others have urged caution.

The RSPCA described yesterday as a "black day for badgers". However, the National Farmers' Union said that the decision was a huge relief for farmers across the country, and an important step forward in eradicating TB.

Drought in the US is driving US cattle markets. Dry weather conditions have seen some pastures in the south plains burning and a lack of grass is pushing more cattle onto feedlots.

It is expected that this will result in lighter and lower grade cattle coming onto the markets in late fall and winter.

With high feed costs on top of this severe dry spell, cattle futures have been falling week on week.

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