NFU Deputy President Minette Batters said: “The people who have made the threat of action against Caffè Nero are a small minority and it is extremely disappointing that the company appears to have bowed into pressure from those who think nothing of intimidation and threats of disruption to achieve their ends.
“We need to remember that we are talking about controlling bovine TB – a disease which is spreading in cattle and badgers and will continue to spread if left uncontrolled. The pilot badger culls are a government policy, based on scientific evidence, aimed at controlling this disease which is a huge threat to dairy and beef farmers in the South West and other parts of the country.
"The 25-year TB eradication strategy published last year is the first comprehensive plan of its kind for England and provides us with the best chance to eradicate the disease by dealing with it on all fronts at the same time. Independent scientific research has shown that up to one in three badgers in areas where bTB is endemic, like the South West, have bovine TB so it is vital we deal with the disease in badgers as well as cattle.
“It is especially saddening that this has come at a time when the dairy sector is facing price pressures; some farmers are being paid as little as 15p a litre for the milk they are producing. British farmers are producing milk to world-leading standards of production and welfare, which is why in every survey we do British people tell us how much they want to support British farmers, and buy British milk. We would urge all members of the supply chain to continue support for British dairy farmers.”