Bovine TB is is costing Irish farmers over €150m a year, according to a new report.
In advance of the emergency TB summit called by Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon, the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) commissioned the Irish Farm Accounts Co-operative (ifac) to investigate the cost burden of the disease on farmers.
The report found that the largest cost was farmers’ labour at over €55.54m for carrying out almost 10 million animal tests each year.
IFA animal health chair TJ Maher said this cost was not even acknowledged by the Department of Agriculture until recent years.
“The Minister and his Department never miss an opportunity to point out that the State is now spending €100m annually on the TB programme,” he said.
“However, the ifac report shows that the cost to farmers is much greater at over €150m, when all aspects of the implementation of the programme at farm level are quantified.”
Summit
"The next-highest expense for farmers in the TB programme, at €36.02m, is the annual testing fees we pay to vets; a cost which, in the UK, is paid for by the government."
In terms of farms that have had a breakdown, there is €14.79m spent to cover the loss of production and a further €23.39m spent on the future loss of production.
Ifac also estimates that there is a loss of production worth €6.4m due to TB testing.
Other costs included over €9m on power washing and disinfection following breakdown and almost €8m on the levy contribution by farmers.
Maher said that the onus is on the Minister to acknowledge what needs to be done and to bring forward a plan that rectifies the deficiencies that have been identified.
“The last time we exceeded 40,000 TB reactors in a calendar year was in the late 1990s.
“Meaningful action was taken to address disease levels in susceptible wildlife at that time and we reduced this number by the mid-2010s to fewer than 15,000. Similar actions are required now.”
Summit
With the TB summit taking place on Thursday 8 May, Maher added that the IFA, a stakeholder in the summit, is yet to receive an advanced copy of the Minister’s proposals and the agenda as promised.
“Our message is clear: whatever the Minister is planning to bring forward, it has to address the unsustainable burden of the TB programme on farmers,” he added.
“We need to see a plan from the Minister that will address the shortcomings in the existing programme and reduce the current costs on farmers.”
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Bovine TB is is costing Irish farmers over €150m a year, according to a new report.
In advance of the emergency TB summit called by Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon, the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) commissioned the Irish Farm Accounts Co-operative (ifac) to investigate the cost burden of the disease on farmers.
The report found that the largest cost was farmers’ labour at over €55.54m for carrying out almost 10 million animal tests each year.
IFA animal health chair TJ Maher said this cost was not even acknowledged by the Department of Agriculture until recent years.
“The Minister and his Department never miss an opportunity to point out that the State is now spending €100m annually on the TB programme,” he said.
“However, the ifac report shows that the cost to farmers is much greater at over €150m, when all aspects of the implementation of the programme at farm level are quantified.”
Summit
"The next-highest expense for farmers in the TB programme, at €36.02m, is the annual testing fees we pay to vets; a cost which, in the UK, is paid for by the government."
In terms of farms that have had a breakdown, there is €14.79m spent to cover the loss of production and a further €23.39m spent on the future loss of production.
Ifac also estimates that there is a loss of production worth €6.4m due to TB testing.
Other costs included over €9m on power washing and disinfection following breakdown and almost €8m on the levy contribution by farmers.
Maher said that the onus is on the Minister to acknowledge what needs to be done and to bring forward a plan that rectifies the deficiencies that have been identified.
“The last time we exceeded 40,000 TB reactors in a calendar year was in the late 1990s.
“Meaningful action was taken to address disease levels in susceptible wildlife at that time and we reduced this number by the mid-2010s to fewer than 15,000. Similar actions are required now.”
Summit
With the TB summit taking place on Thursday 8 May, Maher added that the IFA, a stakeholder in the summit, is yet to receive an advanced copy of the Minister’s proposals and the agenda as promised.
“Our message is clear: whatever the Minister is planning to bring forward, it has to address the unsustainable burden of the TB programme on farmers,” he added.
“We need to see a plan from the Minister that will address the shortcomings in the existing programme and reduce the current costs on farmers.”
Read more
Taoiseach called on to scrap TB proposal on cow sale restrictions
Stakeholders must see TB proposals before summit – IFA
'Long overdue' TB payments welcomed by ICSA
Most badgers forage same fields as cattle
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