Minister keen to grasp bTB nettle

This was the clear message delivered by Farm Minister Edwin Poots MLA at a press event held earlier this week.

“Countries like China have a problem with our bTB status,” he said.

“The need to eradicate the disease once and for all is obvious.”

The Minister confirmed that he is currently reviewing all of the recent reports drawn up, reflecting the measures that can be introduced to eradicate bTB.

He further explained: “It is my intention to put a clear bTB policy in front of Executive members over the coming weeks. The policy issues addressed in the finally agreed document will have implications for all the various stakeholder groups within the farming, food and land use sectors.”

He refused to be drawn on whether the new policy will require an element of farmer funding, in order to facilitate its implementation. However, the Minister did acknowledge the recent reduction in EU funding for bTB eradication in Northern Ireland.

Courtesy of a freedom of information request submitted to Brussels by Farmers for Action, it is now known that the EU Commission reduced its financial support for this measure because bTB eradication targets had not been met, both here in Northern Ireland and other parts of the UK.

Minister Poots continued: “The fundamental fact remains that bTB has ravaged large numbers of farm businesses for many years.

“For example, farmers who had built up high quality cow families over many years found all of this work to count for nothing on the back of a single bTB outbreak.

“Getting to grips with the disease is a priority. It continues to cause economic and emotional hardship in so many of our rural areas. But it will take a combined effort, involving all the relevant stakeholder groups to get us where we need to be.”

The Minister also confirmed the impact of the revised bTB testing measures, introduced in the wake of the Covid-19 emergency.

He commented: “Despite the social distancing and other amendments made to the testing procedures, we have still managed to get 50% of our normally scheduled tests carried out.

“Given current circumstances this is a very encouraging result.”

The Minister admitted that a number of the amended bTB testing procedures were introduced with great haste. He hinted that a change back to the standard testing arrangements will be considered in line with the Executive’s strategy to relax the Covid-19 lockdown measures across society as a whole.