TB cost farmers more than €150m in 2024, reports IFAC
The IFA commissioned IFAC to quantify the cost of TB for Irish farmers using 2024 figures which totaled to €151.5m Picture Chani Anderson
It has cost Irish farmers €151.5m in the fight to eradicate TB in herds last year.
A report compiled by the Irish Farm Accounts Co-operative (IFAC) has concluded that the total financial contribution of farmers to the TB eradication in 2024 has amounted to €151,559,035.
The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) commissioned the report ahead of the ‘TB summit’ called by Minister of Agriculture, Martin Heydon.
The IFAC report attempts to quantify the direct and indirect contribution of farmers to TB eradication in the country. The calculations were quantified with 2024 figures and pricing. If done using current market prices for beef and milk the prices would be higher.
IFAC’s report concluded that the largest cost incurred by farmers in the constant fight against TB is labour costs to facilitate herd testing. The labour costs required for herd tests and the subsequent reading amounted to €55.54m for 2024.
The second largest expense was the direct cost to farmers for one TB test per year, which was calculated at just over €36m. The number was calculated taking the Central Statistics Office (CSO) 2023 herd number figures and the CSO June 2024 number of bovines tested figures, with vet fees confirmed by veterinary invoices from IFA members. “Private” tests on animals such as calves over 42 days old, which farmers may have wished to sell but were not present for the last herd test, were not factored into the calculation.
IFAC also calculated the ‘future loss for production due to a [TB] breakdown’ to be over €23m. This cost is the third largest and is often overlooked. The subsequent loss of years of genetic gain because of a TB breakdown can seriously impact the production of herds.
Lost production due to breakdown was calculated to be €14.7m. IFAC conceded that the income support scheme was in place for farmers who suffer from a TB breakdown however, the support does not fully compensate the farmer for their lost production during an outbreak.
Other costs calculated by IFAC included ‘Power washing and disinfection following an infection’ at €9.1m, ‘levy contribution by farmer’ at €7.9m, ‘cost of buying (time, mart charges, haulage)’ at €3.49m and ‘administrative time involved with dealing with a breakdown’ €1.2m.
A further €6.42m was calculated by IFAC contributing to ‘lost production due to testing’ but was not included in the final €151.5m total. This is the hidden cost attributed to loss of production by affecting the animal's usual routines and reduced feeding and grazing times, with some more severe incidences losing production due to the stress the animal experiences during testing. This figure was not included in the total figure as a lack of sufficient available data prevented IFAC from having total confidence in these particular figures.
In a statement, the IFA said: “The Minister and his Department never miss an opportunity to point out that the State is now spending €100m annually on the TB programme. 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.”
The IFA says they received the Minister’s proposal for the TB summit with less than 24 hours before the meeting was set to take place. “A lot of the Minister’s proposals would put extra costs on farmers. This includes the extension of restrictions and blacklisting of herds. This places the burden on farmers who, through no fault of their own, are enduring TB outbreaks on their farms,” said TJ Maher, the IFA Animal Health Chair.
Following this report and the call for the TB summit, Mr Maher appealed directly to Minister Heydon. “Our message is clear: the Minister has to address the unsustainable burden of the TB programme on farmers. 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,” he said.
