Annual herd incidence in NI stood at 10.66% at the end of September 2025. / Philip Doyle.
ADVERTISEMENT
The total cost of the bovine TB programme in NI during the current financial year could be more than £75m, the latest projections indicate.
Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir said the total spend on compensation for TB reactors during 2025/2026 has been revised upwards to over £56m.
“This is based on a projected rise in the number of reactor animals and the increasing market value of cattle,” he said in response to a question from Ulster Unionist MLA Diana Armstrong.
ADVERTISEMENT
DAERA officials previously estimated that TB compensation will cost £47m in 2025/2026, leaving a total bill of over £65m when other costs associated with TB testing are included.
But with the latest projections adding a further £9m to the compensation bill, the total cost of the TB programme in NI is now likely be around the £75m mark this year.
It represents a huge jump in recent years and compares to a total TB cost of £55.7m in 2023/2024 and £52.8m in 2022/2023.
The latest TB statistics from DAERA show that annual herd incidence in NI stood at 10.66% at the end of September 2025, up from 10.21% a year earlier.
Register for free to read this story and our free stories.
This content is available to digital subscribers and loyalty code users only. Sign in to your account, use the code or subscribe to get unlimited access.
The reader loyalty code gives you full access to the site from when you enter it until the following Wednesday at 9pm. Find your unique code on the back page of Irish Country Living every week.
CODE ACCEPTED
You have full access to the site until next Wednesday at 9pm.
CODE NOT VALID
Please try again or contact support.
The total cost of the bovine TB programme in NI during the current financial year could be more than £75m, the latest projections indicate.
Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir said the total spend on compensation for TB reactors during 2025/2026 has been revised upwards to over £56m.
“This is based on a projected rise in the number of reactor animals and the increasing market value of cattle,” he said in response to a question from Ulster Unionist MLA Diana Armstrong.
DAERA officials previously estimated that TB compensation will cost £47m in 2025/2026, leaving a total bill of over £65m when other costs associated with TB testing are included.
But with the latest projections adding a further £9m to the compensation bill, the total cost of the TB programme in NI is now likely be around the £75m mark this year.
It represents a huge jump in recent years and compares to a total TB cost of £55.7m in 2023/2024 and £52.8m in 2022/2023.
The latest TB statistics from DAERA show that annual herd incidence in NI stood at 10.66% at the end of September 2025, up from 10.21% a year earlier.
If you would like to speak to a member of our team, please call us on 01-4199525.
Link sent to your email address
We have sent an email to your address. Please click on the link in this email to reset your password. If you can't find it in your inbox, please check your spam folder. If you can't find the email, please call us on 01-4199525.
ENTER YOUR LOYALTY CODE:
The reader loyalty code gives you full access to the site from when you enter it until the following Wednesday at 9pm. Find your unique code on the back page of Irish Country Living every week.
SHARING OPTIONS