Farmers’ Union Labels Bovine TB Strategy Review an ‘Insult’

A prominent farmers’ union has characterized Northern Ireland’s most recent assessment of its strategy for addressing bovine TB as “an insult”. This review, conducted by the chief veterinary officer and requested by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera), concluded that a “fundamental change” in the current approach is necessary. Previously, Brian Dooher informed Stormont’s agriculture and environment committee of his suggestion for a year-long trap, vaccinate and release (TVR) initiative. This would be succeeded by a precise, targeted cull, informed by the data collected during that period. He further noted the significance of regionalisation for directing any measures implemented by Minister Andrew Muir. Conversely, the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) stated that the review contained “no meaningful action” to tackle the bovine TB “crisis” prevalent in Northern Ireland. Approximately 10% of herds within Northern Ireland are impacted by the disease, which incurred a cost of £55.7m to public funds during the 2023/24 financial year. Of this total, nearly two-thirds, amounting to £36.5m, was disbursed as compensation to farmers for the compulsory removal of animals. Over the past two decades, the cumulative expenditure for the bovine TB programme has reached approximately £750m. William Irvine, who serves as the president of the UFU, commented that “too many” cattle and other livestock are frequently culled because of bovine TB. He further noted that this situation imposes both an emotional and financial burden on farmers. He conveyed his sentiment to BBC Radio Ulster’s Evening Extra programme, stating, “We’re sad today to be honest because we thought we were on a point of a new approach to this disease.” He characterized the review’s conclusions as a “massive missed opportunity” to implement significant measures for resolving the bovine TB “crisis”. A previous statement issued by the UFU indicated that farmers possess “any faith left” in Daera’s capacity to resolve the bovine TB problem, and it charged the department with neglecting farmers. The statement asserted, “Farmers cannot afford any more delays, their resilience has been battered and bruised by TB.” It concluded, “We need clear, decisive action now.” The UFU declared that the disease is “out of control” and that the proposed solutions are “anything that suitable”. Furthermore, the union requested a meeting with the first and deputy first ministers to discuss the community’s persistent worries regarding the disease. It further emphasized, “This is not just an issue for the farming sector, it is a matter of national importance.” Previously, the chief veterinary officer presented the findings of his review on bovine TB control in Northern Ireland to a Stormont committee. He put forward a three-pronged strategy, focusing on measures related to people, cattle, and wildlife. Mr Dooher stated that “one size does not fit all” and that a “fundamental change” was necessary. He also remarked that bovine TB ought “to be made visible again as the infectious, zoonotic, potentially fatal disease that it is with clear economic impacts”. However, his review does not represent a definitive resolution for the path ahead. The chief veterinary officer cautioned that, based on the current trend, expenditures for the programme alone could surpass £1bn within the next 15 years. Mr Muir informed the committee of his hope that the report would signify a “turning point,” asserting that “the status quo is not an option.” In October 2023, a court overturned an instruction issued by former minister Edwin Poots concerning a wildlife cull targeting badgers. Dr Peter McEvoy, the director of land management at the charity Ulster Wildlife, described the recent review as “very sound”. He conveyed to Evening Extra, “The fact there are good facts and figures in this report [indicates that] we can hopefully sit down and talk and come out with a proportionate intervention that is appropriate.” He acknowledged that wildlife can serve as a “reservoir” for the disease, but noted that research has indicated that bovine TB transmission from cattle to cattle occurs more frequently than from badgers to cattle. He clarified, “Our position is that killing healthy badgers is not acceptable or proportionate.” He added, “We have said that there is a way forward for wildlife which is vaccination and TVR in limited circumstances.” Ross Beattie’s family dairy farm, located between Ballymoney and Kilrea, has experienced severe impacts from bovine TB since 2020. He stated, “We’re been shut, closed down in the herd since Covid came in 2020.“We’re majorly overstocked. This has put a lot of added workload on to us.“We’ve lost over 200 cattle in that period of time. These cattle have had to go and we’ve lost generations of breeding out of our cattle.” Mr Beattie reported that fewer than 15% of those cattle exhibited TB lesions. He further elaborated, “We only milk 120 here on the farm. We’re struggling to keep numbers going for it. We’re struggling as a business and we can’t see any way out of this.“This has a huge financial strain on our business. We are a dairy farm primarily. We sell milk to the public and now, with reducing the number of cows on our farm after losing so many, we cannot keep the milk pool available that should be there.“We’re now financially at half the value of the milk going that we had pre-2020 because our cow numbers are so low.” He also mentioned that “breeding had been wiped out” on his farm. He shared, “My father-in-law has had 40 years between him and his father before that breeding cattle up and that has been completely destroyed.“Emotionally this has been a disaster. My father-in-law couldn’t actually stand beside me today to tell you the story because he has just been in stress over the head of this. He feels himself getting lower.“He sees good quality stock that we do try to keep, he has seen generations of breeding disappear overnight with continuous testing.“Mentally it’s quite soul-destroying. You see young cows going, having to leave the farm. There should be no reason for why that is. TB is causing us huge stress. We just can’t function as a business.” He further stated that several farms in the vicinity were impacted. He concluded, “We’re a TB area hotpot and it has to boil down to wildlife within this area. There’s no nose-to-nose contact within our herd with any other herd. We do our bit for the environment… but I just keep feeling like this TB mountain is pulling us down.” Mr Beattie expressed his conviction that “a wildlife intervention within certain areas” represents the sole viable path forward.