Omagh farmer’s livelihood ‘disappearing’ because of disease fears

AN Omagh farmer whose herd is under lockdown due to a suspected outbreak of Bovine TB has hit out at a new government strategy to tackle the disease – as local infection rates hit their highest level in over a decade.

Andrew Wright, from Doogary, is awaiting test results expected tomorrow (Friday). But he says the uncertainty is devastating both his family and business.

“I can’t plan anything. I don’t know if I’ll be able to sell animals or if my herd will be shut down again for years,” he said. “My investment is disappearing because of TB, and there’s no control over what’s happening.”

Figures released by the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) show that 11 per-cent of herds in the Omagh area are now affected – a two per-cent rise from the same period 12 months before.

Nearly 200,000 animals in the local area have been tested in the past 12 months, with 268 new herds hit by the disease.

In response, the TB Partnership Steering Group’s (TBPSG) Blueprint for Bovine TB Eradication in Northern Ireland was launched on Tuesday.

It outlines five key recommendations that have been described by the Chief Veterinary Officer Brian Dooher as ‘a new step forward’.

The action plan will create a number of pilots, including testing a regional approach, extending the testing window, and a focus on herds with prolonged and recurring breakdowns.

But it does not commit to any precise form of wildlife intervention, such as a badger cull.

Mr Wright, who previously endured a three-year herd closure between 2012 and 2015, is not convinced by the eradication plan.

“This is even weaker than the plan from nearly ten years ago. There’s no commitment to tackling the wildlife population, no badger cull. Other countries are dealing with this, but here it’s just waffle and hot air.”

Ulster Farmers’ Union deputy president Glenn Cuddy called the current TB levels a ‘crisis’ and said farmers are willing to work with the new plan – if it addresses all pillars equally, including wildlife, cattle, and people..

“We don’t oppose progress, but we cannot endorse a blueprint that fails to commit to immediate, meaningful action,” he stated.

Mr Wright, who shares his farming experiences on TikTok, concluded, “By 2030, they hope to reduce TB by two per cent. But it’s already gone up by two per cent in the last five years. This plan is just taking us back to where we were.”