Dairy farmers with TB reactors in their herd are down on average €54.90 on each cow that has to be culled due to changes in compensation rates, the Department of Agriculture has confirmed.

Nationally, if TB rates were to stay the same over the next 12 months, this change would cost dairy farmers €1.26m.

This is based on an estimate that 60% of reactors would be dairy cows, some 23,603 head.

Responding to a query from the Irish Farmers Journal, the Department confirmed that a top-up compensation payment for dairy cows, based on their EBI, has been reduced.

The EBI co-efficient top-up has decreased from €1.05/unit EBI to €0.75/unit EBI as of Monday 7 October 2024.

“This adjustment to the EBI rate was the first adjustment in several years and better reflects the existing incorporation of EBI into the market prices for dairy stock,” a Department spokesperson told this newspaper.

Based on an average EBI of €183, this equates to a loss €54.90/cow.