Action by farmers in schemes to eradicate bovine TB depends on their confidence that the measure will succeed, according to research by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
The study suggests decisions by farmers to implement biosecurity measures to tackle bovine tuberculosis (bTB) depend mainly on how effective they believe those measures will be, rather than knowledge about the disease or awareness of recommended actions.
The research, which included 60 in-depth farmer interviews and a survey experiment with 824 farmers, indicates a sense of pessimism and lack of control around bTB as well as scepticism about some prevention measures.
Not enough culling of wildlife and purchasing from herds with a history of bTB were ranked as the biggest barriers to eradication by farmers, with the majority of those surveyed (80%) saying it should be mandatory to provide information on the bTB history of the herd when selling.
The ESRI said many farmers feel they cannot meaningfully reduce risk, because of wildlife transmission and testing delays, and that this sense of fatalism may reduce motivation to take preventive actions.
In the Budget last October, the budget for eradicating bovine TB on Irish farms was doubled to around €170 million, while a new action plan to tackle the disease was launched.
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Since 2023 there has been a 44% jump in cases on farms.
In the ESRI research, farmers described bTB breakdowns as mentally and financially draining, with repeated testing, trade restrictions and uncertainty cited as major burdens.
However, according to the findings, past experience of a breakdown was not associated with stronger preventive behaviour.
The research also found farmers vary in their understanding of bTB and most are aware of official biosecurity guidance but good understanding and awareness does not lead to stronger biosecurity practices.
The ESRI said farmers rated actions that prevent bTB entering the farm (e.g., keeping a closed herd, stopping cattle accessing badger setts, and checking bTB history of purchased animals) as the most effective and worthwhile.
Measures that manage within-herd spread were viewed as less impactful.
Lead author of the ESRI Report, Dr Deirdre Robertson, said its findings: "suggest that communications about biosecurity need to demonstrate the effectiveness of specific recommended measures."
"Evidence-based narratives, peer-to-peer engagement, and practical demonstrations may be more useful than only supplying information about bTB or reiterating existing guidance," she added.
The Department of Agriculture, which funded the report by the ESRI's Behavioural Research Unit, said it will apply the findings to the TB-eradication programme.
