Defra set to award NFU £1.4m for badger vaccination pilot

Defra is set to allocate the NFU a £1.4m contract for a three-year badger vaccination and research project in Cornwall.

The pilot, which is due to begin in March 2025, will focus on three designated areas and aims to provide scientific evidence to support the Labour government’s commitment to end badger culling and replace it with vaccination as the primary method of controlling bovine TB.

An undisclosed source told Farmers Weekly that confirmation of funding for the project is expected to be officially announced soon.

See also: Defra switch to vaccination in bid to end badger culling

The project has been designed to evaluate the effectiveness of badger vaccination as a viable solution to reduce the spread of bovine TB, a devastating disease that costs taxpayers about £100m a year.

Defra says its intention to award the contract to the NFU, in partnership with the Zoological Society London (ZSL) and its senior research fellow Prof Rosie Woodroffe, stems from their unique experience in badger control and vaccination efforts in the region.

The NFU has been managing licensed badger control operations in Cornwall since 2013, and ZSL has extensive experience in badger vaccination and research.

The pilot project is seen as a critical step in transitioning away from badger culling towards more sustainable and humane control measures.

It will provide critical data to assess whether badger vaccination can offer a long-term solution to bovine TB.

ZSL has been involved in badger vaccination and research in Cornwall since 2012 and will provide the technical expertise required for trapping, vaccinating, and sampling badgers in the field. In addition, ZSL will train local contractors to support the vaccination efforts.

This contract marks a significant shift in the UK’s approach to bovine TB management, now under a Labour government, with Defra set to award the contract next month following a 10-day voluntary standstill period.

Scientific and expert opinion is split, however, over whether badger vaccination can have any significant effect on lowering TB rates in cattle.

Reaction

Wildlife campaigner Tom Langton, an outspoken critic of badger culling, told Farmers Weekly he was not convinced that either culling or vaccination of badgers is an effective tool to control bovine TB.

Instead, Mr Langton has urged the government to concentrate its efforts on adopting new cattle testing regimes to better identify and manage TB risks within herds.

“A three-year project can only deliver one thing: disappointment,” said Mr Langton.

“It is a frittering of public funds due to wholesale policy failure and corrupted science, that does not bear scrutiny.

“Farmers should not be suckered in to a can-kicking exercise – this really needs to stop right now before a further £1bn is wasted as bovine TB keeps spreading due to inadequate testing rules.”

NFU position

NFU president Tom Bradshaw said: “This project has been driven by members in the South, who rightly wanted to address the knowledge gap around badger vaccination and do what they can to retain the benefits achieved through culling.

“This will enable them to gain a better understanding of both the disease in wildlife and the impact of vaccination through differing methods of delivery.

“If awarded, we hope this funding will help farmers and researchers work together to take further steps in achieving our shared goal of eradicating bovine TB.”

Defra said a further announcement would be made in due course.