The number of herds restricted in Ireland because of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) rose to 4,868 in the 12 months to October 2023, according to latest statistics from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
According to DAFM bTB hit a “historical low” in 2016 but since 2018 there has been an acceleration in transmission levels.
The government has set a target for the eradication of bTB by 2030.
But latest statistics show that the herd incidence rate climbed to 4.73% by the end of Quarter 3, 2023 – which was up from 4.12% over the corresponding timeframe a year earlier.
In comparison the herd incidence rate in 2018 stood at 3.51%.
DAFM’s latest figures also highlight that the total number of reactor animals removed in the 12 months to October 2023 jumped to 25,916 compared to 21,183 over the 12 months to October 2022.
Bovine TB
According to DAFM the “expenditure” on the National Bovine Tuberculosis Eradication Programme to the end of Q3 in 2023 was €49.9 million.
It also highlighted that On farm Market Valuation (OFMV) – which it said is the principal compensation measure available to farmers who experience a bTB breakdown on their herd – has increased 51% when compared to Q3 2022.
The department stated: “This continued increase in OFMV is due to strong market values and the rise in the number reactors.
“OFMV is the main contributor to the increase in TB programme expenditure over the last three years, however, Q3 2023 also shows a significant increase in expenditure across other areas, reflecting the increase in disease levels overall and the timing of certain payments.”
Earlier this month the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine said that the average time from a bTB test to when animals are collected and removed from a herd is “17.3 calendar days”.
The minister said that at the beginning of October “20,047 animals have been removed at an average of 17.3 calendar days from the date of test to the date of slaughter”.