ICSA Animal Health and Welfare chair John Barron has said that while the new Bovine TB Action Plan contains positive aspects, many of the details are still to come and some measures may not sit well with all farmers. “ICSA fought hard to protect suckler farmers from the harsher ramifications of this plan and we are glad to have achieved that. It is important that the Minister listened to us on this point. In particular, suckler cows and males over 36 months can continue to be sold and moved in the six months following a clear herd test,” he said.

Continuing, Mr Barron said, “We also welcome several new elements of the plan, including a 30% increase in wildlife operatives, the establishment of a telephone helpline for farmers entering a breakdown – something ICSA has long been insisting on – special sales for restricted animals, financial assistance for on-farm biosecurity measures, and a commitment to consistency across all District Veterinary Offices.”

He said, however, that the plan cannot be judged fully until the finer details are worked out. “Farmers will understandably be cautious. The protections built into the TB programme over the past decade through the TB Forum have been weakened. While there was some consultation and ICSA successfully argued for key changes, this plan was not fully agreed at the Forum. Farmers must have their say, and they must be protected from unfair or disproportionate measures.”

“The Forum was where farm organisations fought to protect farmers from the worst-case scenarios around herd categorisation, regionalisation, risk-based trading, non-negotiated Risk Mitigation Plans, and cuts to compensation. It was also where we held the Department to account for shortcomings in the Wildlife Programme, particularly its over-reliance on badger vaccination and its reluctance to tackle the growing deer problem.”

Mr Barron said he is calling for the TB Forum to be reconvened without delay to provide oversight of the roll-out of this plan and to monitor its performance. “We also need to address the issue of outdated compensation caps. Unless this and other concerns are dealt with in full, the goodwill needed to make this plan work will not be there. Farmers want to see progress towards eradication, but it has to be achieved in partnership with them, not at their expense.”

ENDS