AS the incidence of tuberculosis in cattle in Herefordshire continues to rise at an alarming rate, more and more farmers are becoming worried about their financial future.

If their cattle contract TB, their businesses are not only severely restricted but the hidden costs involved, including the regular testing of animals, can be punitive.

The average cost to the farmer and the Government of a TB breakdown is now £36,000, according to an official report.

Liz Pursey, the National Farmers' Union officer for animal health and welfare for the West Midlands, said: "Besides a herd breakdown costing the farmer thousands of pounds, there is the stress and the depression that farmers have to suffer and, most importantly, Defra seem to be getting nowhere in combating the disease.

"We want it to be taken seriously by the Government as there is hardly a farm in the county that isn't affected."

Mrs Pursey said some farmers could only fatten cattle - if they could afford to.

"There is also the hidden cost of regular testing which requires extra help, particularly if beef cattle have to be handled. Farmers are so restricted and so there has to be more flexibility because it is driving some to despair."

As badger-culling trials restarted in the county after the close season, Mrs Pursey expressed concern that Herefordshire continued to be one of the worst areas in Britain for the disease. Nationally, the House of Commons environment, food and rural affairs committee recently examined the issue of badgers and bovine TB and reported that the average cost of a TB breakdown was £36,000.

The committee report added: "We are therefore surprised that farmers have not more urgently sought Government help in testing better husbandry methods, in line with the Krebs report. We urge the farming industry to come forward with proposals. If it does so, we recommend that the Government provide suitable financial support."

Meanwhile, in a bid to discover whether badgers are carrying the disease, culling areas have been designated in south Herefordshire and on the West Gloucestershire border and between Leominster and Ledbury. Recently, culling started at Bosbury.

The cull is part of a ministry study, first implemented following the 1998 Krebs report but suspended during the foot-and-mouth outbreak when TB continued to escalate and cause a backlog of testing.

Badger Society groups say they don't believe the experiment will reveal important data because it is not being carried out in a scientific way. The society favours the development of a vaccine which it says would cost the taxpayer less money.