Bovine TB, a contagious disease of cattle, continues wreak havoc on farms, livelihoods and wildlife in Fermanagh. Documents obtained by The Farmer's Voice have revealed:

  • How farmers in Fermanagh are frequently dissatisfied with DAERA staff during the bTB testing process

  • How almost of quarter of dead badgers have tested positive for bTB

  • How bTB levels are higher now than during the ‘foot and mouth’ outbreak in 2001

Staff from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) were a frequent cause for complaint amongst Fermanagh’s farmers during the Bovine TB (bTB) testing process.

According to information obtained via Freedom of Information (FOI), this year alone five specific bTB-related complaints were made by farmers in the Fermanagh area, with a further three lodged in 2022 and 2023.

Reasons for these complaints were far-reaching, and included disputes on dates for TB tests, the timing of tests, and, most frequently, issues with 'DAERA staff'.

As a highly infectious disease, tests for bTB are routinely carried out on every cattle farm in Fermanagh, costing the taxpayer over £12 million yearly.

If an animal tests positive it must be destroyed, and this experience often proves financially and mentally stressful for farmers.

In July of this year, the Department received a "Complaint regarding a TB test and DAERA staff", while in February 2024, a farmer took issue with "the processing of a TB test", and again, "DAERA staff".

Prior to this, in November 2023 a Fermanagh farmer lodged a complaint about the DAERA's "handling of a Review of Decisions appeal, re. TB penalties".

In April March 2022, a local farmer issued a complaint about "issues re. timing of testing and DAERA staff".

This farmer then lodged a follow-up complaint just one month later in April 2022, this time citing "TB test date", and again complaining about "DAERA staff".

Overall, eight complaints specific to bTB have been lodged since January 2022. However, each has been resolved, according to the Department.

“All complaints have been dealt with by DAERA and a written response issued", a DAERA official said.

Other information obtained via FOI reveals staggering costs associated with bTB testing, which is often carried out by local veterinary surgeons. 

According to emails from the Department, during 2023/24, the cost of tests by private veterinary practitioners across Northern Ireland amounted to £12.235 million.

Meanwhile, the overall cost of NI's bTB eradication programme in the 2023/24 financial year amounted to £55.687 million, with £36.498 million figure paid out to farmers in the form of compensation.

And despite such high costs, a Department admitted that the herd incidence remains high, even surpassing levels when TB testing was suspended due to foot and mouth.

"TB herd incidence is currently at 10.18 per cent for the 12 months to the end of May 2024," said a Department official, when questioned about high bTB rates.

"Rates had risen from 2020 to May 2023 when they peaked at 10.85 per cent before falling in the second half of 2023. Herd incidence has risen again in recent months.

"This latter figure is a little higher than the peak in the aftermath of the Foot and Mouth outbreak of 2001 when TB herd testing had been suspended for a period."

Additional emails obtained via FOI also show the Department's considerations around wildlife as transmitters of bTB.

Animals such as badgers and deer are proven transmitters of the disease, although the extent of the blame for high bTB rates is been widely debated.

However, DAERA badger testing statistics show a definite presence of the disease amongst dead badgers tested by the Department, with almost a quarter (21.8 per cent) testing positive.

From March 2023 to March 2024, 423 badgers were found dead on Northern Ireland's roads, and collected by DAERA for testing. While 129 of these badgers had a rest "still ongoing", 64 had were positive for bTB.

In terms of deer, a Department official said that a recent review by the Agrifood and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) could be taken into account.

"DAERA does not routinely test deer for TB, however, a DAERA commissioned research project undertaken by AFBI on the role deer may play has recently concluded,” an official said.

"Subject to the usual peer review process it is anticipated that the findings of this research will be published in due course."

A key decision-maker regarding bTB legislation is Minister for Agriculture, Andrew Muir, and emails show communication with animal welfare groups regarding wildlife and bTB.

An email in March showed that Minister Muir has agreed to meet both the USPCA and an official from the NI Badger Group to discuss bTB.

Within the email, which was marked "high importance", Minister Muir was also invited to "discuss successes and learning" at a farm in Devon that has been "involved in a long-term project with experienced vet seeking to tackle TB by identifying and cutting off routes of infection within the herd."

Other recent emails show how Minister Muir met with animal protection charity, Ulster Wildlife, in June.

While this meeting was rescheduled a number of times, it eventually took place on June 3, with the charity then sending Minister Muir a letter outlining their stance on badgers and other wildlife and bTB.

The acting CEO of Ulster Wildlife said: "I would also reiterate our preference that badger vaccination should be the main approach adopted to control Bovine TB in the badger population.

"However, if wildlife intervention is to be part of the bTB eradication strategy, for example in areas with repeated herd breakdowns, we could support a combination of the 'Test-Vaccine-Remove' (TVR) approach combined with wider badger vaccination, which has been shown by DAERA's own research project to be effective."