Bovine TB costing NI farmers more than £96 million a year as landmark report lays bare scale of crisis

William Irvine, UFU President, Richard King, The Andersons Centre, Ian Stevenson, NI Dairy Council, Colin Smith, LMC, Glenn Cuddy, UFU deputy president, and Michael Haverty, The Andersons Centre.

Northern Ireland’s farming families are shouldering an estimated £96 million in indirect costs every year as a result of bovine Tuberculosis, according to a landmark new independent report launched today, laying bare the scale of a crisis that continues to hit farm profitability, family livelihoods and the wider agri-food economy.

The study, jointly commissioned by the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU), the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC) and the Dairy Council for Northern Ireland, was launched at the Stormont Hotel, where stakeholders from across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland agricultural sector gathered alongside representatives from DAERA as the Andersons Centre presented its findings.

The report is the first of its kind to comprehensively quantify the indirect economic burden of bovine TB (bTB) on farmers in Northern Ireland, with the findings revealing that when these costs are combined with DAERA’s direct spending on testing, compensation and programme delivery, the total annual cost to the sector rises to approximately £156 million.

That figure represents one of the most significant ongoing financial pressures facing the region’s livestock industry.

Farmers carrying the heaviest burden

UFU deputy president Glenn Cuddy said the report finally puts hard evidence behind what farming families have long known through lived experience.

“This independent study quantifies, for the very first time, the scale and composition of the indirect costs of bTB borne by NI farmers. It draws on stakeholder interviews, a large-scale farmer survey, farm-level and aggregated modelling to provide a robust assessment of how bTB affects farm businesses in practice and we must thank farmers and stakeholders for their participation in this vital evidence gathering process.”

According to the report, the £96 million annual indirect cost borne by farmers is equivalent to almost one-third of total agricultural support in Northern Ireland.

The analysis found that bovine TB is far more than an animal health issue, instead acting as a long-term economic drag across the livestock sector.

“This analysis highlights that bovine TB is not only a persistent animal health issue, but a significant economic one, representing a major and persistent drag on farm profitability. When combined with DAERA’s direct expenditure on testing, compensation and programme delivery, the total annual economic cost of bTB on NI agriculture is approximately £156 million and the greatest financial impact falls on farmers, with indirect costs far surpassing direct support.”

Costs hitting farms even without a breakdown

One of the most striking findings in the report is that more than half of the indirect costs arise even where farms have not suffered a TB breakdown.

LMC Chief Executive Colin Smith said this was among the starkest conclusions in the study.

“The report shows almost £50million (51.4%), of the total cost is carried by herds that have had no breakdown. This stark statistic highlights these costs will persist in the long term unless decisive action is taken to eradicate bTB.

“In addition to this, the report also highlights the environmental and social costs of bTB which cannot be underestimated.

“LMC remains committed to working in partnership with stakeholders to drive forward the bTB eradication programme. Together we can deliver meaningful progress.”

The report identifies the major cost drivers as production losses, additional labour, cashflow pressures, biosecurity expenditure and environmental inefficiencies.

Crucially, it found that the burden is not confined to farms where infection has been detected, with routine testing requirements and the constant risk of disease continuing to impose significant baseline costs across the sector.

Mental anguish and pressure on farming families

The human toll behind the figures was also highlighted by the Dairy Council for Northern Ireland, which said the findings reflect years of practical and emotional strain on farming households.

Chief Executive Ian Stevenson said:

“This independent review comprehensively analyses and quantifies the indirect costs borne by farmers in Northern Ireland as a consequence of Bovine TB. For too long our farmers have endured the practical, financial, environmental and mental anguish that comes with trying to tackle Bovine TB in the cattle population in Northern Ireland.

“The excellent case studies really give a sense of what farming families have to deal with when the scourge of bTB makes an unwelcome visit. Through this insightful review, which was jointly commissioned by DCNI, LMC and UFU we have brought meaningful evidence to the annual cost of this disease on industry, and I am hopeful that the findings will give added momentum to the push for eradication of this disease in Northern Ireland.”

The report’s publication comes as concern continues to grow not only around the financial damage caused by bTB, but also the emotional and mental health pressures it places on farm families already working in a high-stress and often isolated environment.

Calls for stronger action and eradication strategy

Returning to the wider policy implications, Mr Cuddy said the findings show bovine TB must now be treated as a structural issue across Northern Ireland agriculture.

“The findings confirm that bovine TB is not a short-term or episodic issue, but a major structural constraint on Northern Ireland’s livestock sector. Policy needs to be framed around reducing the total economic impact and not just managing stock valuation costs. Priority must also be given to measures that minimise the risk of a bTB breakdown,” added Mr Cuddy.

“There is no single solution to the bovine TB challenge. However, evidence shows that incidence can be significantly reduced through sustained, coordinated action across multiple fronts and dealing with wildlife is one of the examples. Farmers must also remain central to this process if meaningful and lasting progress is to be achieved.”

The renewed call for coordinated action comes amid continued debate around the effectiveness of current control measures and the pace of progress towards eradication.

Latest figures offer limited hope as losses continue

Recently published figures from the Veterinary Service Animal Health Group within DAERA have offered what some have described as a glimmer of hope, showing a 15% reduction in new bovine TB reactor herds across Northern Ireland in the first two months of 2026.

However, political and farming representatives have warned against reading too much into early-year data.

Ulster Unionist agriculture spokesperson Robbie Butler MLA said the crisis remains deeply entrenched.

“While any downward movement in TB incidence is to be cautiously welcomed, we must be honest with ourselves and with our farming families. This is one data point at the very start of the year, and it is far too early to declare progress. The TB crisis gripping Northern Ireland agriculture remains one of the most serious and costly challenges our Agri-food sector has ever faced.

“The stark reality behind these figures is that 3,336 cattle were still removed from NI farms in just the first two months of this year, virtually the same as 2025. Over £1 million worth of cattle are being found TB positive at slaughter annually and going straight to disposal. This is a crisis that is deeply embedded in annual Calendars and still devastating livelihoods.”

He also pointed to the human cost behind the statistics.

“But we must not reduce this to numbers alone. Behind every reactor animal removed is a farmer, often the third or fourth generation of a family on that land, who has watched animals they have raised and cared for being taken away. The mental and emotional toll of that is profound and must be spoken about openly. Farming can be an isolating life at the best of times, and the relentless anxiety of TB never knowing when the next test will come back, never knowing if the herd you’ve built over decades will still be intact next month is breaking people. The mental health crisis in our farming community is every bit as serious as the financial one, and it demands the same urgency in response.”

Mr Butler also raised concerns over the growing cost to the public purse.

“What concerns me most is the financial haemorrhage that TB is inflicting on the wider industry. The TB budget is ballooning year on year, absorbing public money that should be invested in the future of our farming sector in innovation, in infrastructure, in the next generation of farmers. Every pound spent on managing this disease is a pound not invested in supporting family farms to grow and adapt. I fear DAERA’s lack of action is effectively robbing our farmers of the investment and opportunity they need and deserve.

“My party has consistently called for a comprehensive, strategic approach to tackling TB at its source. Instead, this Department and this Minister appear content to hide behind endless consultations, while farmers’ patience, understandably, is rapidly running out. What is now required are practical, effective measures, including steps that have already been implemented in other jurisdictions. Northern Ireland cannot afford to fall further behind. Our farming families deserve nothing less.”

With the report now placing a firm economic value on the damage caused by bovine TB, pressure is likely to intensify on policymakers and industry bodies to move beyond management and towards long-term eradication.

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At a glance

• New independent report says bovine TB is costing NI farmers £96 million annually in indirect costs

• Total cost to Northern Ireland agriculture rises to £156 million per year including DAERA spending

• Report launched jointly by UFU, LMC and Dairy Council NI

• 51.4% of total costs fall on herds with no TB breakdown

• Major cost drivers include production losses, labour, testing, biosecurity and cashflow pressure

• Latest DAERA figures show a 15% fall in new reactor herds in early 2026

• 3,336 cattle were still removed in the first two months of the year

• More than £1 million worth of cattle are found TB positive at slaughter annually

• Farming leaders say mental health pressures on families remain severe

• Fresh calls made for a stronger eradication strategy