Farmers urged to have their say as UFU warns wildlife intervention is essential to tackling bovine TB

UFU deputy president Clement Lynch, who is urging farmers to have their say on DAERA’s bTB wildlife intervention consultation.

Saturday 03 October 2026

Northern Ireland farmers are being urged to have their say on the future of bovine TB controls before a major consultation closes next week, as the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) calls for wildlife intervention to form part of efforts to eradicate the disease.

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) consultation closes at 5pm on Friday 9 October and is examining three potential approaches: non-selective culling of badgers, Test and Vaccinate or Remove (TVR), and vaccination only.

No preferred option has been proposed by the Department at this stage.

UFU calls for wildlife intervention

The UFU has submitted its response to the consultation, arguing that after more than 60 years of increasingly stringent controls on cattle, an effective eradication programme must also address transmission involving wildlife.

UFU deputy president Clement Lynch said:

“Bovine TB continues to have a devastating impact on farm businesses and farming families across Northern Ireland. Farmers have complied with increasingly stringent cattle controls for decades, yet we are still not making the progress towards eradication that is desperately needed.

“The UFU’s position is clear. Wildlife intervention is essential. Farmers want healthy cattle and healthy wildlife, but we cannot eradicate this disease while continuing to address only one side of the problem.

“Our consultation response has been developed around the evidence presented, the practical realities of delivering an intervention programme and, crucially, what will achieve meaningful disease reduction within the shortest possible timeframe.”

Union warns against further delays

Mr Lynch said the process must not result in further years of delay while farmers continue to experience herd breakdowns, repeated testing and movement restrictions.

“This cannot become another process that results in years of delay while bTB continues to take its toll. Whatever intervention is progressed must be evidence-based, practical, affordable and capable of being delivered at the scale required.”

The UFU says research commissioned jointly with the Dairy Council for Northern Ireland and the Livestock and Meat Commission estimates the indirect cost of bTB to Northern Ireland farmers at approximately £96 million annually. It says the estimated total rises to around £156 million when DAERA’s direct expenditure is included.

“The financial impact alone is enormous. Research commissioned by the UFU, Dairy Council for Northern Ireland and Livestock and Meat Commission estimates the indirect cost of bTB to Northern Ireland farmers at approximately £96 million every year. When DAERA’s direct expenditure is included, the total annual cost is estimated at approximately £156 million.

“Behind those figures are farmers dealing with repeated testing, movement restrictions, the loss of productive animals and the stress and uncertainty of herd breakdowns.”

Three wildlife approaches under consideration

DAERA’s consultation forms part of the Bovine Tuberculosis in Northern Ireland: Blueprint for Eradication and seeks views on the role of wildlife intervention in reducing transmission between badgers and cattle.

Alongside non-selective culling, TVR and vaccination-only approaches, the consultation considers possible deployment methods and options for funding and delivery. It also asks whether Northern Ireland should enable licensed lay vaccinators, working under veterinary direction, to vaccinate badgers against bTB.

Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Andrew Muir has encouraged people with an interest in the issue to respond, saying any eventual decision would be “science-led and evidence-based”.

“Bovine tuberculosis continues to have a significant impact on our farming industry, wildlife and wider society. I want to ensure that everyone with an interest in this issue has the opportunity to have their voice heard.

“I would encourage anyone who has not yet responded to the consultation to do so before it closes. Any decision I make will be science-led and evidence-based. The views received through this consultation will play an important role in informing my decision.”

Farmers encouraged to respond directly

The UFU is encouraging individual farmers and farming families to submit their own responses before the deadline, setting out their experiences of bTB and what they believe needs to change.

Mr Lynch said:

“It is important that DAERA hears directly from the farmers and farming families living with the consequences of TB. We would encourage farmers to take the time to respond in their own words, explain their own experiences and tell the Department what they believe needs to change.

“DAERA’s Blueprint identifies many of the actions required to tackle bTB, but identifying them is not enough. Farmers now need to see timely and effective implementation that delivers a measurable reduction in disease.”

The DAERA consultation can be accessed through the Department’s consultation page: DAERA bTB wildlife intervention consultation⁠. The UFU’s full submission is available through the UFU consultation response page⁠.

UFU webinar ahead of deadline

The UFU and AgriSearch will also hold an online bTB webinar for UFU members at 8pm on Tuesday 6 October, three days before the consultation closes. UFU representatives and expert speakers will discuss the proposals and the union’s response before taking questions.

Members who register will be able to watch a recording afterwards. Those who are not currently UFU members can join beforehand to gain access to the webinar.

Registration is available through the events section of the UFU website⁠. Anyone wishing to become a member ahead of the webinar can contact UFU headquarters on 028 9037 0222.

With the consultation closing at 5pm on Friday 9 October, responses received over the coming days will help inform the Minister’s subsequent consideration of whether, and how, wildlife intervention should form part of Northern Ireland’s longer-term approach to eradicating bovine TB.