The steering committee of Farmers For Action (FFA) in NI has criticised the initial output from a new TB partnership group in NI.

In early April 2025, the TB Partnership Steering Group, which has membership from across farming, veterinary and environmental organisations, published a blueprint to eradicate TB in NI. However, in a statement, FFA said the measures being put forward will only “pile on more pressure on hard-pressed livestock farmers”. The farm organisation also distanced itself from the group, pointing out that it is not represented on it or similar previous bodies.

“It would appear that the Department cherry-picks the farm organisations that they now call key stakeholders in order to achieve the outcome that they want rather than face opposition,” suggested Sean McAuley from FFA. He also pointed out that local veterinary expert, Dr Sam Strain, the chief executive of Animal Health and Welfare NI, was also left off the new group.

Moving ahead, McAuley said DAERA needs to consider going back to court to get a legal challenge overturned from October 2023, allowing a cull of TB-infected badgers to begin immediately across NI. That legal challenge was originally taken by badger groups, who successfully blocked DAERA plans to cull badgers in TB hotspot areas. McAuley also suggested DAERA should contact the Byrne Convention to get the protected status of badgers in NI, overturned: “They are no longer an endangered species.”