Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) and Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Minister John Muir on potential collision course over badger cull to tackle bovine tuberculosis (TB)

The Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) and Agriculture Minister appear to be on a collision course over a proposed badger cull to slash the annual £50 million cost of them spreading TB to cattle.

The UFU says its members are losing 10% of their cattle due to tuberculosis (TB) spread by badgers - and that it is costing the taxpayer well over £50m per year to compensate farmers - with no sign of the problem improving. He says all the science points to the need for a major badger cull.

In October the minister's party - Alliance - welcomed a high court decision to quash the department's plans for a major badger cull.

Mr Irvine told the News Letter the badger population is currently at an all time high and that the cost of compensating farmers for culled cattle is well over £50m per year.

The Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) and Agriculture Minister appear to be on a potential collision course over a major badger cull to slash the huge impact of the animals passing TB to cattle. Photo: PA

However, he says this only covers the value of the animal and does not cover the cost of business disruption for beef and dairy producers.

He is urging the minister to adopt the same solution as has been adopted in England - controlled culling of the badger population.

"We are afraid the new minister will not follow the science on this because the science is basically advising us to follow the English model where they have a highly regulated, highly supervised process

for removing badgers in TB hotspot areas."

UFU President William Irvine says all scientific advice at present is that Northern Ireland requires a badger cull to bring TB in cattle under control.

He says there are alternatives to culling badgers but that they won't work in NI at this time because infection rates among cattle are so high here.

He believes well over 22% of the NI badger population is currently infected with TB.

"All the science that we are getting says you need a sharp intervention here to reduce the disease level. We currently have over 10% of our cattle herds infected but in England, it is roughly around 3% which makes other options more viable. But we are consistently told that those options would not work at our higher population levels."

While they are meeting the minister on a range of issues, he has not yet agreed to discuss the issue with them.

The UFU is pressing Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir to implement a badger cull in Northern Ireland. Photo: PA

"There's a welfare issue for badgers too. I am told it is a slow painful death for those animals. Our aim is to have healthy livestock herds and also a healthy wildlife."

A DERA spokesman responded that it is “acutely aware of the devastating impact bovine TB can have on farm businesses, and recognises that the high level of public expenditure currently incurred in controlling this disease is neither affordable nor sustainable”.

He said the department also “fully recognises” its responsibilities under the Wildlife Order (Northern Ireland)1985 when it comes to the protection of badgers.

The Bovine TB Eradication Strategy, launched in 2022, included 21 actions, of which one related to addressing the role of badgers, he added.

Following last year's court judgment to quash a targeted cull of badgers, DAERA is reviewing the evidence and rationale for a cull – which would require public consultation.

The infection rates among English cattle herds ranges from 13.2% to 1.0% with an average of 7.3%, he said.

In NI 10.17% of herds are infected and in 2023 DAERA culled just over 18,000 infected cattle out of 1.7m cattle across NI.

The spokesman added that addressing the role that badgers play is only one part of any possible solution. International experience suggests roles that both the department and industry must play.

In October the Alliance Party said the problem can be controlled through enhanced control of cattle movement and a test-vaccinate-remove strategy for cattle.

USPCA Chief Executive Nora Smith said badgers are an "iconic part" of the countryside and are now protected by law due to years of persecution.

She says 20% of the badger population is infected, but despite the current population being 33,500, she does not accept the population has increased.

"However, the eradication of this disease will not be brought about by a cull of badgers. Wales has rejected badger culling and instead focus on rigorous cattle testing, enhanced cattle movements and promotion of biosecurity practices."

Only this month, she says, the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs said England had a 26% decrease of infected cattle from 2012-2023 while Wales had a larger 31.3% decrease in the same period.

"More than 30 eminent animal disease experts, including a former Government Chief Scientist, signed an open letter to The Observer describing the cull as a 'costly distraction'."

She also rejected the UFU claim that alternatives to culls would not work until the level of infection rates among cattle are reduced significantly in NI.

"Badger culling is a costly distraction from the focus on cattle measures which are needed.”

"TB infection is not a welfare issue for badgers, nor is it a major cause of death in badgers. Clinical signs of the disease are rare and infected individuals can live out their lives without any significant ill-effects.”

She added: “This is a pivotal moment for our new Minster to show true leadership and we only hope he keeps to his party’s policy position and will not include a badger cull as part of DAERA’s eradication strategy. Culling badgers is expensive, inhumane and ineffective.”