An association for vets in Northern Ireland has said that a proposed reduction in the compensation rate for cattle removed under the bovine tuberculosis (bTB) programme would be “unfair”.
Last month, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) launched a consultation on the proposal, which would reduce bTB compensation on a phased basis to 90% of the bovine animal’s market value in the first year of implementation.
There would then be a further reduction to 75% of the animal’s market value a year later.
Farmers currently receive the full market value of affected animals removed for slaughter.
The proposal has come in for sharp criticism from farm organisations, including the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) who said it would amount to “barefaced robbery”.
Vets
In its response to the consultation, the North of Ireland Veterinary Association (NIVA), which has a membership of over 230 vets, said that it strongly disagrees with the proposal.
The association said that among its main concerns is that the proposal does not match the recommendations made by the TB Strategic Partnership Group.
It said that “reduced compensation rates would not directly improve the health and welfare of affected cattle, nor would they invigorate the TB Programme, nor contribute to constructive relationships between farmers and government”.
The submission added that “such cuts would have a major impact on the financial viability of many farms and place undue pressure on the mental health of farmers and farm families, with a knock-on effect for vets working in a range of capacities with herd owners”.
NIVA noted that the increase to 100% compensation for farmers in Northern Ireland was introduced to mirror the situation in Britain where full compensation was offered due to the role of badgers in the disease.
The association believes that “in Northern Ireland there needs to be a drive to control bovine TB in a strategic and scientific manner, and that such an approach will be the most effective way to reduce the costs of the TB programme”.
Junior vice-president of NIVA Sharon Verner said: “Severe and chronic breakdowns are significant features of the current bovine TB situation in Northern Ireland.
“Therefore it would be most unfair to introduce these cuts, particularly given the current patterns of infection, herd and animal incidence rates, and lack of action to deal with the TB reservoir in wildlife and to reduce infection risks generally.”