07-05-2025
DAFM has 30 proposals for emergency TB Summit
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is expected to outline around 30 draft proposals to tackle the rising incidence of bovine tuberculosis (TB) at an emergency meeting tomorrow (Thursday, May 8).
The TB Summit, convened by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon, will see key stakeholders, including farm organisations, gather at Agriculture House in Dublin.
It is understood the event, which will run from 9:30a.m until around 4:00p.m, will include bilateral discussions between the stakeholders and Minister Heydon.
As previously reported by Agriland, DAFM previously presented over 20 proposed measures to curb the spread of the disease to members of the TB Forum, but nothing has yet been agreed.
DAFM
Agriland understands that the department is expected to present proposals at tomorrow's meeting under the following headings:
Support herds to remain free of bovine TB;
Reduce the impact of wildlife on the spread of bovine TB;
Detect and eliminate TB infection as early as possible in herds with a TB breakdown and avoid a future breakdown;
Help farmers improve all areas of on-farm biosecurity;
Reduce the impact of known high risk animals in spreading bTB.
The draft proposals are expected to state that information on TB herd risk category would be provided at point of sale for all cattle.
This would involve the department overhauling the current herd categorisation model to increase the number of herds in the best (lowest risk) category.
Only high risk breakdowns will impact a herd's categorisation.
The proposed actions would facilitate earlier detection of TB before infection is spread through animal movement by requiring a 30 day pre-movement test only under the EU Animal Health Law.
Farmers would be encouraged to engage in one herd to one herd contract-rearing arrangements only.
If calves from more than one herd are contract reared together, a pre-movement test into rearing herd will be required for calves.
All animals returning from a contract rearer will require a 30-day pre-movement test.
The proposals include the development of a national breeding strategy to increase the resistance of the national cattle herd to bovine TB and incentivise the use of bulls with higher levels of TB resistance through the On Farm Market Valuation (OFMV) scheme.
When it comes to detecting herds with a TB breakdown as quickly as possible, it is understood that targeted gamma interferon (GIF) testing of the exposed cohort in large breakdowns of breeding herds will be used to reduce residual infection.
Under the proposals, this blood testing would be mandatory in herds of 60 cows or more where 5% of the exposed cohort test positive or 10 reactors, whichever is the lesser.
It is understood that the proposals state that all high risk breakdowns will require two clear skin tests at least six months apart to be derestricted.
To assist farmers with relapse high risk herds to identify cows with residual infection as early as possible, these herds will require testing at six-monthly intervals for a period of five years.
Proposals
The proposals would prevent the sale of cows that were part of the exposed cohort at the time of breakdown in breeding herds greater than 60 cows or more, where 5% of the exposed cohort test positive or 10 reactors, whichever is the lesser, to other farms for three years after derestriction.
Cows could still be sold direct to controlled finishing units (CFUs) or direct to slaughter in this three-year period.
The proposals would facilitate the movement of unweaned dairy calves from TB restricted herds to another herd.
The purchasing herd will be restricted until two clear skin tests at least 60 days apart – calves may be freely traded once the purchasing herd is derestricted.
It is also proposed that TB test negative cull cows from restricted herds could be sold through special cull cow sales in marts to CFUs.
It is understood that DAFM will propose that for relapse high risk herds, no compensation will be payable for stock purchased from a herd which had a breakdown in the last five years.
For relapse high risk herds, exposed cohorts will be ineligible for future reactor grants if not culled within three years.
Cows greater than five lactations will be ineligible for reactor grants in relapse high risk herds.
Wildlife
When it comes to wildlife, it is understood DAFM is proposing that badgers will only be vaccinated against TB if they have tested negative for the disease. Badgers that test positive for TB will be culled.
The department will increase operatives in the wildlife programme by 30%, while a bespoke wildlife response model would be implemented for areas of high TB incidence.
The proposals also provide for risk mitigation plans (RMPs) in all high risk breakdowns to reduce the risk of future breakdowns.
Free veterinary advice would be provided to farmers through increased Targeted Advisory Service on Animal Health (TASAH) availability.
Greater use would also be made of discussion groups and the Knowledge Transfer (KT) model to build awareness among farmers on ways of improving on farm biosecurity.
TB rates
According to the department data, over 41,600 TB reactors were detected in 2024, which was a 44% jump on the previous year.
This increase was in addition to an increase of 24% in 2023 from over 23,000 reactors in 2022.
If this trend continues, the department has warned that we can expect over 60,000 reactors in 2025.
Over 6,000 farms were affected by a TB outbreak in 2024.
Herd incidence has increased from 4.31% in 2022 to 6.04% in 2024. This represents a 36% increase in the number of herds restricted between 2022 and 2024.
The total cost of running the TB eradication programme in 2024 stood at over €100 million.
In addition, farmers contributed €8 million in disease levies last year, as well as paying for their annual TB test.
It is understood that the loss of milk revenues to the dairy industry was estimated to be around 145 million litres last year.
This resulted in a loss at farm gate prices alone of about €70 million and around €110 million lost in export revenue.
It is believed that DAFM will highlight a recent study which showed Ireland's current approach of testing and removing infected cattle and culling or vaccinating badgers alone will not eradicate bovine TB.
This study outlined that the current programme must be expanded with enhanced biosecurity and the curtailment of the movement of high risk cattle.
