The Northern Ireland meat industry loses more than £1 million annually due to cattle with bovine tuberculosis lesions found at slaughter. Daryl McLaughlin, chief executive of the NI Meat Exporters Association based in Derry, provided these figures to the Stormont Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.

Over 20,000 reactor cattle were culled in Northern Ireland in the past 12 to 16 months after TB testing. In addition, more than 2,000 cattle per year, or about 40 per week, are removed from the clean cattle line at slaughter after lesions are detected.

McLaughlin calculated the loss using an average carcass weight of 340 kilograms at £6.37 per kilogram. Each affected carcass represents £2,165 in lost value. Multiplied by 40 cattle weekly, this totals over £86,500 per week or more than £1 million over 12 months.

These figures exclude further costs such as disposal, reduced throughput, time losses and impacts on farmers. McLaughlin described the overall expense as substantial.

He welcomed a new pilot scheme to eradicate bTB launched in Newtowncunningham in February. The initiative targets areas in Derry and Donegal with measures including pre-movement testing and additional interferon gamma testing for all participants.

McLaughlin noted benefits from the cross-border approach, stating it will ease conditions for farmers in the area despite a slow rollout.