Pedigree Cattle Trust responds to bTB compensation consultation

​This point is the core assertion contained within the organisation’s response to the public consultation on the future funding of bTB reactor compensation values.

Speaking on behalf of the Trust, Portadown-based solicitor, Brian Walker, commented: “It is fair to say that all the attempts of the Department to control or eradicate bovine Tuberculosis in Northern Ireland have failed over the last 50 years. It is, therefore, unfortunate to note that there is no compensation rate provided for cattle removed under the existing programme.

“To suggest otherwise is entirely misleading. If there was a compensation arrangement then it would take account not only of the loss of an animal purchased by the Department but also all consequential loss and that is clearly not the case. What is in place is an arrangement to pay market value for any animal purchased by the

Department.

“The fact that the Department does not pay any compensation for consequential loss is not acceptable since such consequential loss may well on many occasions lose the value of sales of animals for the year in which the outbreak is detected.

“The only source of income for a farmer of pedigree beef cattle would be to sell some of his animals to an abattoir and the price achieved for those animals would be a fraction of their pedigree value.”

He continued: “The present regime in essence is a regime which penalises the victim. Any reduction in the amount payable is going to increase that penalty.”

According to Walker, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) must accept that there are various factors contributing to the ongoing bTB epidemic in Northern Ireland.

He is calling for farmers to be fully educated on these matters, adding:

“Experience to date is that no such effective programme has even been contemplated.”

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“The Trust, for its part, has engaged expert advice and that advice has been extremely critical of the Department’s approach but there has been no effective remedial action taken by the Department.”

Walker is confirming that the Pedigree Cattle Trust will convene a conference next month on all these matters.

It will be addressed by at least one expert in the field of bTB.

“As with previous such conferences we will invite all farmers and representatives of DAERA,” he commented.

“We all recognise that one of the causes may be a reservoir of the disease in wildlife. If that is the case, has any attempt ever been made to assess a control method of any species? In other words, is there scientific research available or has even been commissioned to ascertain what would be a sustainable number of one particular species?

“There are many examples throughout the world of controlling a particular species without endangering its place in the ecosystem or its survival.”

Walker continued: “There may be other suggestions as to how to restrict the spread of the organism causing the disease and if there are such suggestions, why can we not have a scientific programme to analyse such suggestions and to implement them if they are proved to be scientifically beneficial?

“The response of DAERA to date on any of these matters is deafening.”