A consortium of private vets in NI has been awarded a contract by DAERA to provide independent and free advice to farmers impacted by bovine TB.

The contract, valued at £2.12m excluding VAT, is for a three-year period from 8 September 2026 to 7 September 2029, with the possible extension for a further year.

The successful bidder is Veterinary Resources (NI) Ltd, a Co Antrim-based company that lists a number of prominent vets across NI as directors.

The business was set up by the Association of Veterinary Surgeons Practising in NI (AVSPNI) back in 2014, but has effectively been a dormant company since then.

The chair of the Veterinary Resources NI board is Strabane vet Keith Sheridan.

He told the Irish Farmers Journal that the award of the contract to the company means farmers will receive advice from a private vet they know and already have a relationship with.

“The same vet that comes out to calve your cow at 3am is the vet who will be delivering this. It won’t be a stranger. The advice given will be focused on the fact TB is an infectious disease,” he said.

Elsewhere

Sheridan said similar initiatives have been well received by farmers in England and Wales, as well as the Republic of Ireland.

The original plan outlined by DAERA is that around 700 farms will avail of the free service each year. These farms will be visited on two occasions by a private vet.

It is a voluntary scheme, with Veterinary Resources NI expected to put in place a phone and online system where farmers can register their interest and request an on-farm visit.