UFU 'will not hesitate to walk away' from TB group if wildlife intervention is not tackled

The broadside came a day after Minister Muir published the new ‘Blueprint for the Eradication of Bovine TB’.

The UFU says tackling TB in wildlife must be included in Northern Ireland’s TB strategy and the correct decisions need to be made to start the process immediately to have any hope of reducing infection and eradicating the disease. The UFU said DAERA need to deliver on tough decisions to break the vicious cycle of TB in NI.

UFU deputy president Glenn Cuddy said: “The UFU has agreed to remain part of the TB Partnership Steering Group for the time being. However, we made it clear that our continued involvement depends on the speed of progress regarding wildlife. If the group fails to deliver on wildlife intervention, we will not hesitate to walk away.

“We have entered this partnership in good faith, and we expect all issues to be dealt with equally. Let’s be clear, we don’t oppose progress, but we cannot endorse a blueprint that fails to commit to immediate, meaningful action on all three pillars that are desperately needed to tackle TB – people, cattle and wildlife. DAERA’s blueprint talks about partnership, but partnership only works when everyone is held accountable and the evidence provided is properly acknowledged. In this case, it’s the role that infected wildlife have in spreading TB to livestock.

“Farmers have already shown their willingness to step up. Not so long ago they backed the introduction of a levy to fund wildlife intervention. They continue to comply with a TB testing regime that has been largely unchanged for over 50 years. But there is little to nothing left of farmers’ patience. We can’t continue on the same failed path while the disease incidence worsens and continues to rip through our herds and livelihoods because of an unwillingness to address TB in wildlife.

“The associated costs of the disease are staggering. Farmers are losing thousands of pounds per breakdown due to movement restrictions, lost productivity and repeat testing. As farmers and taxpayers it’s unacceptable that we are left to pay the extreme cost of TB.

“Minister Muir needs to get things moving and fast, and that doesn’t just mean the easy decisions. Without the difficult ones being taken, we will not see progress. He must follow the science and show he’s committed to changing the story of TB in NI.”

The UFU said any successful eradication strategy must earn the trust and buy-in of farmers and this will only happen when DAERA delivers on wildlife intervention to tackle the disease head on.

“DAERA need to drive farmers’ confidence for this to work. Our members need to see that their voices are not just being heard, but acted upon. This latest blueprint and TB Partnership Steering Group cannot become a talking shop while herds are lost, and mental and financial strain continues to grow in our rural communities.

“We are more than eager to provide options, solutions and leadership, but we will not be at the table if political will falls short. A strategy without immediate wildlife intervention is not a strategy for eradication, it’s a roadmap to nowhere,” said Mr Cuddy.