FARMERS from all over Galway have been asked to turn out for a public meeting in Tuam next week which will address the issues in relation to what is described as ‘a worsening situation’ with Bovine TB.

The meeting – in the Ard Rí Hotel, Tuam – takes place on Wednesday night, October 30 at 8pm and will be attended by officials from the Dept. of Agriculture’s Veterinary Office in Galway.

National IFA Animal Health Committee Chair, TJ Maher, will also address the meeting as farmer frustration continues to grow over what they describe as a crisis in relation to Bovine TB.

According to official Government statistics released earlier this year, the level of Bovine TB has been rising since 2018 with a 5.17% herd incidence increase from June 30, 2023 to June 30, 2024 as compared to the previous 12 months.

For the same period, the total number of reactors removed from herds in the Republic of Ireland rose from 25,529 to 32,677. Almost 5% of herds across the country are being impacted upon by Bovine TB, according to Department figures.

Galway IFA Chair, Stephen Canavan, told the Farming Tribune that farmers ‘were at a loss to know with what was happening’ with the worsening TB situation.

“Farmers are doing absolutely everything that’s been asked of them – they have no choice in that – but yet year-on-year, the figures are getting worse and worse.

“It’s a complete misnomer to call this a TB Eradication Programme – instead of eradication the situation is getting worse with each passing month.

“At the end of the day it’s farmers who are suffering because of this. Different reasons are being thrown out there as to why it’s on the increase but no one seems to know – we have to try and get to the bottom of this,” said Stephen Canavan.

He urged farmers to turn out in force for next week’s meeting in the Ard Rí Hotel in Tuam as this would help to send out a strong message to the Dept. of Agriculture on the issue.

Stephen Canavan said that some areas such as Clonberne, Milltown, Oranmore and Clarinbridge – as well as many other pockets across the county – had got a real ‘scourging’ from Bovine TB.

He also pointed out while the official figures for the whole of County Galway might be lower than the national average, if Conamara was excluded, the statistics for the rest of the county would be quite high. [Conamara has an extremely low incidence of Bovine TB].

Various theories have been put forward as to the reason why Bovine TB is on the increase again including the inadequacy of the badger/wildlife programme; the impact of zero grazing; residual infections showing up; and possibly stricter testing procedures.

The Bovine TB Eradication Programme began in 1954 – 71 years ago – and according to Government estimates, has cost the state during that period in the region of €5.5 billion.

Pictured: National IFA Animal Health Committee Chair, TJ Maher