Wildlife are the true cause of bovine TB spread in Ireland, not cattle movements, says the Irish Farmers Association (IFA).
IFA animal health chair TJ Maher slammed recent comments made by Department of Agriculture veterinary inspectors which focused on the role of animal movements in spreading the disease as “misleading”.
He warned that such comments are a crude attempt to distract from the Department’s own failure to address the true cause of TB - deer and badgers.
Backlash
Farmers at the IFA’s recent meeting on TB eradication in Wicklow were also highly critical of the comments made by Department veterinary inspectors on the role of animal movements in the spread of the disease.
Department veterinary inspector comments on the role of cattle movements in TB spread are “misleading”, says the IFA. / Claire Nash
One inspector suggested that buying cattle in any mart in Ireland is like “playing rapid roulette with a pistol in terms of TB”.
One farmer present at the meeting, Pat Farrell, said the inspector’s remarks were “one of the most disturbing presentations” he’s heard.
“What you’ve effectively said to the majority of people in this room is people shouldn’t buy their cattle and this is a recurring theme.”
‘Disconnect’
TJ Maher described the veterinary inspectors’ comments as “efforts to blacklist farmers”.
He said that the remarks and communications such as recent TB herd risk letters demonstrate a “complete disconnect between both senior Department officials and Department veterinary inspectors and farmers on the ground”.
The IFA animal health chair said the damaging letters have been rejected by the farming community and by the TB forum.
“TB continues to be a huge cost and stress for farmers and their families and eradication of the disease in the shortest feasible time frame must be the objective. To do so, the focus must be on the key driver of bovine TB, which is wildlife,” he said.
Wildlife control
Maher said that all stakeholders have recognised and accepted the critical role an effective wildlife control programme plays in reducing and, ultimately, eradicating TB from the national herd.
He warned that Department veterinary inspectors must focus on providing a “timely and effective” wildlife control programme for their regions rather than making “misleading claims” that animal movements are a major risk for the introduction of TB to a farm.
He referenced one of the Department’s own studies, which he said was presented to the TB forum and showed that only 7.5% of TB cases may be attributed to animal movements.
Badger activity
The IFA animal health chair suggested that the Department’s app for farmers to report badger activity must be utilised to its “full potential”.
He said that Department staff must follow up on each reported instance of activity in a “timely manner”.
“We are aware of cases where farmers have reported activity late last year which have not yet been followed up on.
"This delay is not good enough for farmers on the ground who are making every effort to protect their herds from bovine TB by reporting badger activity.”
Deer
TJ Maher described the re-establishment of the national deer management group as a “positive first step to controlling that national deer population to a sustainable level”.
Rising deer populations must be addressed, the IFA has said. \ Philip Doyle
“It’s vital that the group focuses on a co-ordinated approach, which must prioritise addressing the deer population surrounding TB outbreaks,” he said.
Read more
‘Tough decisions’ needed to eradicate TB
Locked up with TB: ‘it takes over your life’
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Wildlife are the true cause of bovine TB spread in Ireland, not cattle movements, says the Irish Farmers Association (IFA).
IFA animal health chair TJ Maher slammed recent comments made by Department of Agriculture veterinary inspectors which focused on the role of animal movements in spreading the disease as “misleading”.
He warned that such comments are a crude attempt to distract from the Department’s own failure to address the true cause of TB - deer and badgers.
Backlash
Farmers at the IFA’s recent meeting on TB eradication in Wicklow were also highly critical of the comments made by Department veterinary inspectors on the role of animal movements in the spread of the disease.
Department veterinary inspector comments on the role of cattle movements in TB spread are “misleading”, says the IFA. / Claire Nash
One inspector suggested that buying cattle in any mart in Ireland is like “playing rapid roulette with a pistol in terms of TB”.
One farmer present at the meeting, Pat Farrell, said the inspector’s remarks were “one of the most disturbing presentations” he’s heard.
“What you’ve effectively said to the majority of people in this room is people shouldn’t buy their cattle and this is a recurring theme.”
‘Disconnect’
TJ Maher described the veterinary inspectors’ comments as “efforts to blacklist farmers”.
He said that the remarks and communications such as recent TB herd risk letters demonstrate a “complete disconnect between both senior Department officials and Department veterinary inspectors and farmers on the ground”.
The IFA animal health chair said the damaging letters have been rejected by the farming community and by the TB forum.
“TB continues to be a huge cost and stress for farmers and their families and eradication of the disease in the shortest feasible time frame must be the objective. To do so, the focus must be on the key driver of bovine TB, which is wildlife,” he said.
Wildlife control
Maher said that all stakeholders have recognised and accepted the critical role an effective wildlife control programme plays in reducing and, ultimately, eradicating TB from the national herd.
He warned that Department veterinary inspectors must focus on providing a “timely and effective” wildlife control programme for their regions rather than making “misleading claims” that animal movements are a major risk for the introduction of TB to a farm.
He referenced one of the Department’s own studies, which he said was presented to the TB forum and showed that only 7.5% of TB cases may be attributed to animal movements.
Badger activity
The IFA animal health chair suggested that the Department’s app for farmers to report badger activity must be utilised to its “full potential”.
He said that Department staff must follow up on each reported instance of activity in a “timely manner”.
“We are aware of cases where farmers have reported activity late last year which have not yet been followed up on.
"This delay is not good enough for farmers on the ground who are making every effort to protect their herds from bovine TB by reporting badger activity.”
Deer
TJ Maher described the re-establishment of the national deer management group as a “positive first step to controlling that national deer population to a sustainable level”.
Rising deer populations must be addressed, the IFA has said. \ Philip Doyle
“It’s vital that the group focuses on a co-ordinated approach, which must prioritise addressing the deer population surrounding TB outbreaks,” he said.
Read more
‘Tough decisions’ needed to eradicate TB
Locked up with TB: ‘it takes over your life’
Badger TB vaccination rates steady as costs rise
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