Stormont backs urgent action on NI bovine TB crisis

Stormont has backed calls for immediate action to eradicate bovine TB, including wildlife intervention, as farmer concern grows over the long-running failure to control the disease.

Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) agreed to a Sinn Fein motion that urges Northern Ireland agriculture minister Andrew Muir to act “without further delay”.

They warned that the current approach has left farmers facing rising costs, repeated herd losses and ongoing uncertainty.

The debate at the NI Assembly on 27 April also highlighted a new report from the Andersons Centre showing farmers are absorbing more than £96m a year in indirect costs linked to the disease.

See also: Bovine TB costing NI farmers £96m a year, report finds

Opening the debate, Sinn Fein MLA Declan McAleer said bovine TB “goes far beyond animal health and strikes at the heart of our rural economy, environment and public health”.

He added: “The reality is that the status quo is not working.

“Costs are too high and the burden on farmers too great.

“The impacts on our economy, our environment and public health are too serious to ignore when dealing with a disease that affects every part of our rural fabric.

“It is time for decisive, co-ordinated action.”

Wider impact

The motion, amended by the DUP, recognised the disease’s wide-ranging impact on farm businesses, mental health, animal welfare and the agri-food supply chain, as well as its cost to the public purse, estimated at more than £60m a year.

At the heart of the debate was the demand for a comprehensive eradication strategy, including a wildlife intervention component.

DUP MLA Michelle McIlveen said action must address all drivers of the disease.

“The Andersons report is clear that bovine TB is not a short-term or isolated issue.

“Rather, it is a structural constraint on livestock farming in Northern Ireland,” she said.

“It is embedded across the sector, cumulative in its impact and acts as a persistent drag on farm profitability, efficiency and sustainability.”

The assembly also heard that more than 20,000 cattle were culled in 2025 in the province as part of disease controls.

This contributed to financial loss, disruption and stress across farming families.

Farming minister Andrew Muir told MLAs: “Bovine TB is not simply an animal health issue but one of the most persistent, complex and emotionally draining challenges facing our agri-food sector.”

He said a science-led approach would guide decisions but warned any wildlife intervention can proceed only after a fresh, legally compliant consultation, following a court ruling that quashed previous cull plans.

Farmers losing patience – UFU

Reacting to passing of the motion, Ulster Farmers’ Union deputy president Glenn Cuddy said: “The assembly has now spoken with one voice on the seriousness of this issue.”

However, he warned that farmers are losing patience.

“We cannot continue with a system where farmers carry the greatest burden of this disease.

“Action to eradicate bovine TB, including wildlife intervention, must now be delivered without further delay,” he said.