Farmers urged to commit to TB cull

Despite two potential hurdles in the way of a targeted cull of badgers in bovine TB hotspots, it is vital that planning continues apace over the coming weeks to be ready to start a cull in 2023, Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) president David Brown has said.

Speaking at the first of six information events organised by the TB Eradication Partnership (TBEP) at CAFRE’s Enniskillen campus on Monday, Brown asked for full farmer buy-in, to include signing up for new levies to help pay for a cull.

“We need to keep pushing on with this as an industry. If we as an industry are not committed to this, it won’t happen – that is for sure,” he suggested.

The first hurdle is a court case taken by wildlife campaigners who have questioned the lawfulness of a DAERA consultation in 2021 which outlined various badger control options. That judicial review is to be heard on 21 November.

The second hurdle is the current political impasse at Stormont, with Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots due to step down from his caretaker role on 28 October. At the Fermanagh meeting, DAERA officials were clear that legislation, signed off by a minister, will be required to facilitate a targeted cull.

In addition, while major political parties have backed DAERA’s TB eradication plan, there is a lingering doubt that a new Agriculture Minister might take a more cautious approach. However, with the TB programme in NI costing taxpayers £45m in 2021-2021, of which £28m was compensation for reactors, it is clear something needs to change.

“If we put our marker down it will be much, much harder for a judge or future Agriculture Minister to do a U-turn on it,” suggested Brown.

Fix any issues

Also speaking at the meeting, DAERA policy director Neil Gartland said the Department will have to look at the outcome of the judicial review and “fix any issues if it goes wrong”. In any event, he maintained that government and industry can continue to plan for a targeted cull. “We are committed to doing this,” he said.

Ultimately, the legislation to allow a cull is probably the last piece of the jigsaw, and before that it will be necessary to get finance in place, potential cull areas identified, badger sett surveys done and people trained. Any potential cull will be undertaken between 1 September and 30 November.

The reaction to the plans among a large turnout of farmers in Enniskillen was positive. The next TBEP information meeting takes place at 7.30pm on Thursday 27 October at the La Mon Hotel, followed by meetings at Loughry and Greenmount on 2 and 3 November.

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