UFU slams DAERA for bTB ‘inaction’

At the UFU annual general meeting which took place in July 2020, the then DAERA Minister Edwin Poots stated that he was going to bring forward proposals on tackling bTB.

However, nothing has happened to date leaving many farm families in an unsustainable position, according to the UFU.

The UFU office bearers said:“New bTB issues are being reported every week by our members and it’s having a severe impact not only on the Northern Ireland (NI) livestock industry, but on the well-being of our farmers. It is apparent that DAERA officials are stalling and dragging their heels.

“We fear they are buying time and this will prevent newly appointed acting DAERA Minister Gordon Lyons from making a decision.

“Due to their inaction, farmers are now quite rightly questioning DAERA’s commitment to rid the country of the disease. We’ve seen successive Agricultural Ministers fail to tackle the issue of TB. Independent advisory groups have been appointed and their advice side-lined by a veterinary service incapable of delivering control, much less the eradication of TB. 

“At the cost of £40m per year this can’t go on. It is vital that Minister Lyons tackles this bTB issue immediately so that the immense efforts our industry has made to eradicate the disease in NI is not reversed.”

“It would be detrimental if this were allowed to happen.”

Commenting on the matter, Holstein NI said: “Our members are frustrated at the lack of progress in the eradication of TB. They comply with the ever-increasing number of restrictions placed upon them by DAERA. Some of these controls place exceptional financial pressures on their business yet we find all to no avail - the infection rates show little or no reduction.

“A coherent policy of removing infected animals and wildlife has yet to be implemented. Bold policy decisions have been avoided hiding behind research, trials and more trials.

“Financial support historically provided by the EU which is not to be continued by the UK government post Brexit, will inevitably lead to increased rates of infection.”

Northern Ireland’s meat processors have raised their bTB concerns with the UFU and stressed how it could affect export markets, with the potential of having a significant impact on the agriculture industry and the livelihoods of farm families.

The Union office bearers continued: “Our farmers who have animals that test positive will not be accepting a compensation cut when DAERA are not utilising the resources they have available to tackle bTB appropriately.

“A compensation cut will not only fail to cover the worth of the animals, but also the consequential loss of income via the farm business due to the removal of bTB positive animals.

“In certain cases, which DAERA have deemed as a ‘severe’ breakdown, they restrict farmers from buying animals into the existing herd.”

They concluded:“By not permitting farmers to buy stock, DAERA is effectively denying farmers of their right to make an income.

“Often it is found that the case is not as ‘severe’ as DAERA outlined and the restrictions put on farmers to prevent them buying stock is totally unjust.”

In response to the criticism from both the UFU and Holstin NI, DAERA Minister Gordon Lyons said: “Bovine Tuberculosis is one of the most significant animal health challenges faced by both industry and government here. It’s clear that it’s a complex issue and I share the union’s frustration at the pace of progress. That is why it is one of the first issues I raised with my officials when I arrived in office this week. My colleague Edwin Poots also made it clear during his time as DAERA Minister that this issue was a top priority.

“The business case for the new TB Eradication Strategy for Northern Ireland is being finalised in the coming weeks, and I have made it clear to my Departmental officials that I intend to take decisions on a way forward as soon as possible. It is absolutely vital that we get this under control and I can assure the agriculture sector that I am fully committed to moving this on without delay.”