NFU Cymru has called for a change in strategy after new figures revealed a record number of cattle were culled in Wales last year due to bovine TB.

The latest quarterly statistics from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) show that more than 13,000 cattle were slaughtered in Wales in 2024 because of the disease—marking a 27 per cent increase compared to 2023. This represents the highest number of TB-related cattle culls recorded in a single year.

While overall herd incidence—the rate at which new bovine TB cases are detected—remained unchanged, herd prevalence, which measures the percentage of all registered herds that were not Officially TB-Free (OTF), rose by 0.1 per cent.

NFU Cymru President Aled Jones described the figures as “sobering” and said they highlight the anguish felt by farming families across Wales affected by the impacts of the disease.

“The scars left behind by bovine TB are numerous and can be seen running deep across the Welsh cattle industry,” he said.

“We cannot continue to slaughter this many cattle each year because of this disease and if the next generation are to have any hope of farming in Wales without the threat of bTB, then something needs to change.”

Mr Jones emphasised the importance of the Welsh Government’s TB Programme Board and Technical Advisory Group (TAG), where NFU Cymru sits alongside vets, government representatives, and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to discuss TB policy.

“We appreciate the need for patience in allowing these structures time to do their job, but we cannot lose sight of the farm businesses across Wales that continue to suffer because of this disease,” he said.

“This is why we continue to call for a comprehensive TB eradication strategy that deals with this disease wherever it exists.”