Rates of bovine TB among badgers are higher in western areas of NI, the Irish Farmers Journal can reveal.

An analysis of TB test results from DAERA’s 10 divisional veterinary offices (DVOs) found that 26% of badgers in the area covered by Enniskillen DVO were positive for TB over the past five years.

The second-highest rate is seen in the Omagh DVO area where 25% of badgers had TB, while 23% of results in the Dungannon DVO area were positive.

The TB tests were taken from roadkill which were reported to DAERA’s badgerline project and the results were originally given to Alliance Party MLA Kellie Armstrong in response to a written Assembly question.

Overall, 1,627 badgers were tested for TB across NI from 2016 to 2020, and 17% of tests returned a positive result.

Badger TB rates in the Ballymena and Newry DVOs are close to the NI average, with rates sitting at 18% and 17% respectively.

Other DVOs have results slightly below the NI average, including Newtownards (16%), Coleraine (15%) and Derry/Strabane (13%).

In the Armagh DVO, 9% of tests came back positive.

The lowest rate of positive results is in the Mallusk DVO area, with 8% of roadkill badgers returning a positive result.