I wanted to focus my contribution today on the personal distress that is caused to farming businesses and farming families. I think farming businesses are unique in the fact that the farmer does not go to work at eight and come back at six. The whole family is part of the business, including children, and, when there’s an issue on farm, that affects the whole family.

Presiding Officer, I had a farmer contact my office last week and speak to my office manager and the farmer was in tears. It was an emotional conversation with my office manager, so much it affected my office manager as well.

I thought what I would like to do today is to read an extract of a letter that she sent me, which will probably take up most of the time I have. But I thought it was a powerful extract. It says, and I quote:

‘We are a small farm and have a closed herd which is sadly losing its animals at a rapid pace due to the spread of Bovine TB. We have not bought any cattle for 65 years and have no adjoining neighbours with cattle so the spread cannot be from cattle to cattle.

‘We had our first TB outbreak six years ago, and we hoped we would never have to go through this devastation again. After a routine test, we had reactors which sadly had to be slaughtered; these were heavily in calf cows, but under animal welfare regulations they cannot travel if it’s less than 28 days before they are due to calve so they are subjected to on farm slaughter. However, the baby calf will slowly suffocate inside the womb—a cruel barbaric way to die, and the most emotional event anyone could witness.

‘The same on farm slaughter is carried out if the cow has given birth to her new baby calf within the last 7 days. The TB reactor cow will be shot, leaving behind her new-born baby calf who will then be an orphan.

‘Again, this is a really devastatingly emotional experience especially when you are the person that has reared that cow from birth, and has also helped her previous generations into the world. Although we don’t seem to be getting rid of the disease, it’s like we are going round and round in circles but not dealing with the prevention of TB.

‘In England, when a cow is TB tested and the calf is due to calve within 28 days, the cow is allowed to stay on the farm in isolation, the calf will be naturally born and the mother is removed after 7 days of giving birth.

‘And in Ireland, if a herd has TB reactors, a 3 kilometre radius to that farm will have all the badgers culled. Why doesn’t the Welsh Government learn from experience from neighbouring countries which show that a two pronged approach is necessary to deal with the disease in wildlife for the successful eradication of Bovine TB.’

Now, for me, I just think that, reading that, it’s not just the unions and other organisations, but this is a real-life experience of a farmer who has suffered this cruel, cruel disease. Farmers don’t seek to see wildlife culled for the sake of it, but what we need is an option that takes into account all options to eradicate this cruel, cruel disease. I would just simply say to the Cabinet Secretary: please don’t turn your back on Welsh agriculture and Welsh families. I look forward to a positive contribution from the Cabinet Secretary when she responds.