NI farmers hit with £96m yearly bill from bovine TB, study finds

Bovine TB is draining more than £96 million a year from Northern Ireland’s farmers, exposing the scale of a crisis hitting both livelihoods and the wider rural economy.

The figure comes from a new independent study commissioned by the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU), Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC) and Dairy Council for Northern Ireland, which examines the hidden costs of the disease on farm businesses.

Presented at the Stormont Hotel, the report draws on farmer surveys, stakeholder interviews and detailed modelling to assess the real-world impact of bovine TB.

UFU deputy president Glenn Cuddy said the research “quantifies, for the very first time, the scale and composition of the indirect costs of bTB borne by NI farmers”.

The findings put those indirect costs at just over £96 million annually.

That is equivalent to almost one-third of total agricultural support in Northern Ireland.

When combined with government spending on testing, compensation and control measures, the total cost rises to around £156 million each year.

Mr Cuddy said the disease is “not only a persistent animal health issue, but a significant economic one”, warning it is placing a heavy and ongoing strain on farm profitability.

Crucially, the report found that more than half of the financial burden falls on farms that have not even experienced a TB breakdown.

“Almost £50million (51.4%), of the total cost is carried by herds that have had no breakdown,” said LMC chief executive Colin Smith, describing it as a stark indication that costs will persist without decisive action.

He added that the wider environmental and social impacts “cannot be underestimated”, underlining the broader consequences beyond farm finances.

The report also highlights the human toll, with farming families facing prolonged stress alongside the financial pressure.

Dairy Council for Northern Ireland chief executive Ian Stevenson said “for too long our farmers have endured the practical, financial, environmental and mental anguish” associated with tackling the disease.

He pointed to case studies within the report that illustrate the day-to-day realities faced by affected farms, expressing hope the findings will “give added momentum” to eradication efforts.

The study identifies key cost drivers including lost production, additional labour, cashflow pressures, biosecurity spending and environmental inefficiencies.

Significantly, many of these costs arise even without an outbreak, reflecting the constant burden of testing and managing disease risk.

Mr Cuddy said the findings confirm bovine TB is “not a short-term or episodic issue, but a major structural constraint on Northern Ireland’s livestock sector”.

He argued that future policy must focus on reducing the overall economic impact, not just compensation, and prioritise measures that lower the risk of breakdowns.

“There is no single solution to the bovine TB challenge,” he added, stressing that coordinated, long-term action — including tackling wildlife transmission — will be essential.

The findings leave little doubt that without sustained intervention, bovine TB will continue to weigh heavily on farm businesses and the future of Northern Ireland’s livestock sector.