Farmers are in the minority on the newly formed TB Stakeholders Forum, which held its first meeting on Wednesday.

There are 20 representatives on the forum, seven of whom are farmers. The remainder is mainly made up of representatives from the food industry and the Department of Agriculture.

There is one representative each from IFA, ICMSA, Macra na Feirme, ICSA and ICOS, plus two individual farmers from counties Tipperary and Cork. There is one representative each from Bord Bia, Ornua, Meat Industry Ireland, Dairy Industry Ireland and Teagasc.

The forum has five Department officials, a UCD researcher and a representative from the Irish Wildlife Trust. The chair is dairy industry executive Michael Cronin.

The IFA and ICMSA each have got clearance to bring an additional observer, likely to be staff members from the two organisations.

The first meeting of the forum was due to include general introductions, an update on the current TB position, discussion on an opening paper followed by a debate.

Deer hunters squeezed

Elsewhere, recreational hunters are being squeezed out of deer hunting by syndicates and more professional shooters, the Irish Farmers Journal has been told. A number have contacted the IFJ expressing frustration and saying that they are available to help farmers tackle high numbers of wild deer grazing scarce grass.

Syndicates offer payment to landowners, including some farmers, for shooting rights, most notably in Co Wicklow. Other hunters are then excluded.

Meanwhile, some farmers who have high numbers of wild deer entering their land look to link up with a very active shooter who will cull high numbers.

These hunters are typically selling deer carcases into abattoirs as a way of supplementing their incomes, and are certified to do so.

In contrast, a recreational hunter will typically shoot three to five deer per year and put the venison in a home freezer for their own use.

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