The Welsh Assembly Government must stop "shilly-shallying" around and start the test cull of badgers as soon as possible, Conservative politicians and FUW officials agreed.

They met at the county show to discuss urgent problems facing farmers today and top of the agenda was the bovine TB problem.

The Welsh Assembly Government announced months ago that a test cull of badgers, thought to spread the disease from one herd to the next, but has yet to announce any further details.

"It's important that as soon as we get back to the Assembly we press the minister to take some action, this has been going on for too long," said Preseli Pembrokeshire AM Paul Davies.

Shadow Rural Affairs Minister Brynle Williams, who was also present at the discussion, said: "We want to know what area the test cull is going to be in and when it is going to happen. There has been enough shilly-shallying around for the last ten years about this."

Conservative Parliamentary candidate for South Pembrokeshire Simon Hart added: "We all applauded the Welsh Assembly Government's decision to take a stand on bovine TB and carry out this cull but we now need some evidence that it will take place soon."

Also up for discussion at the meeting was the introduction of a new electronic sheep tagging system called EID.

This is an EU requirement which makes it compulsory for all sheep born after the end of 2009 to carry a chip (either in eartags or boluses) which can be scanned by electronic readers.

"I don't think people have fully comprehended what this will mean," sheep farmer Wyn Jones from Boncath told the meeting. "We are hearing figures of ten to fifteen thousand pounds per farm to put this in place.

"It will cost the industry a lot for something that we don't need."