Volume 9: Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Part 3: Northern Ireland
12. Setting the scene
Cattle farming

12.1 The most obvious difference between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom is geographical. Northern Ireland has a major sea crossing to Great Britain and a land border with another country, the Republic of Ireland. Another distinguishing feature is its smaller size, and population of just 1.6 million.

12.2 During the period covered by this Report, agriculture in Northern Ireland was of relatively greater importance to the economy than was the case in the rest of the UK. Primary agricultural production accounted for 4 per cent of Gross Domestic Product in 1991/92, which meant that the industry was three times as important for the Northern Ireland economy as it was for the rest of the UK. ¹ It was characterised by a preponderance of small family-owned farms mostly engaged in livestock enterprises, and was heavily reliant on the export of animals and food. ²

12.3 Almost all farms were owner-occupied and concentrated on extensive grass-based rearing of livestock, ³ with more beef than dairy cattle. ⁴ In 1991, over 80 per cent of farms had a beef enterprise of some description, and beef production made the largest contribution to agricultural output during this period - about one third of the total in 1992. ⁵ Farmers did not use compound feeds to the same extent as in many of the larger beef herds in Great Britain; winter feeds tended to be silage rather than compounds. ⁶ Where compound feeds were used, they were likely to have been produced locally. ⁷

12.4 In Northern Ireland, suckler beef production was characterised by small herds, the majority of which were located in Less Favoured Areas. ⁸ The average beef herd size in 1986 was just 12.1, compared with the UK average of 18.4. By 1996, average beef herd size had risen to 18.3 while the UK average rose to 25.8. ⁹

12.5 Because it was expensive to ship animals, meat or MBM (meat and bone meal) to and from Great Britain, Northern Ireland had become more self-sufficient in these commodities than either Wales or Scotland. It generally produced a surplus for export. ¹⁰ However, small numbers of cattle were imported into Northern Ireland between 1986 and 1996, mainly high-quality breeding stock from Great Britain and animals from the Republic of Ireland for immediate slaughter or finishing. ¹¹ The geographical isolation of Northern Ireland was also significant in relation to communicable diseases. ¹² The implications of these factors for the way the Province reacted to the BSE crisis are dealt with more fully below.

12.6 A unique feature of the Northern Ireland beef and dairy industry was the cattle-tracking system, which had been operated by the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland (DANI) since 1964. The system was developed as a result of difficulties in controlling and eradicating tuberculosis and brucellosis, and was intended to monitor the movement of cattle and help prevent outbreaks of these diseases. ¹³

12.7 Under this system, every animal in the country had an ear tag with a unique number and could therefore be individually identified. The system was administered at DANI by the Animal Health Division using the services of the Veterinary Research Laboratories (VRL) and ten Divisional Veterinary Offices (DVOs).

12.8 Documentation was required for the removal of animals from the farm of origin to any destination. DANI staff administered the system at markets, slaughterhouses, border posts, ports and shows, and at any given location documentation was required to verify the provenance and legal and health status of the animal. Animals entering Northern Ireland at border posts were rigorously checked before documentation was handed to the DVO nearest to the border post where the cattle had been imported. Animals entering Northern Ireland via the sea ports were held in quarantine for four weeks.

12.9 During the mid-1980s the paper-based operation of both the brucellosis and tuberculosis schemes became administratively cumbersome, and a computerised system was installed in April 1988 after a two-year feasibility study. ¹⁴ Existing records were transferred to the new system, which consisted of a mainframe computer connected to terminals at Veterinary Service offices, slaughterhouses, markets, border posts and the Veterinary Research Laboratories (later known as the Veterinary Science Laboratories). The new system allowed for the control and recording of movement of cattle, allocation and recording of tuberculosis and brucellosis tests, and the automatic allocation of tests and restrictions in the event of outbreaks of these diseases. ¹⁵ Because the information was maintained centrally and was constantly updated, Veterinary Service staff had access to up-to-date information on the movement and health status of all cattle in Northern Ireland.

12.10 In 1990 a BSE control menu was added to the system, which allowed for recording of BSE status for herds and individual animals, and alerted users to suspect animals.

12.11 Dr Robert McCracken, Mr Ron Martin and Mr Pat Toal of DANI were all of the view that the real significance of the cattle-tracking system in the BSE context was that it had assisted Northern Ireland to maintain trade with EU Member States and third countries, rather than just being a mechanism for disease control. This was because it provided a means of certifying that beef had not come from an animal which could be associated with a case of BSE. ¹⁶ Dr McCracken also pointed out that later:

Our centralised computer system played a significant part in the implementation of an Export Certified Herds Scheme (ECHS) and resultant export of beef within the Community and Third Countries. ¹⁷

12.12 The Export Certified Herds Scheme was implemented in 1998, after the period with which this Report is concerned. It effectively allowed the ban on the export of British beef to be lifted sooner in Northern Ireland than elsewhere. The basis of the scheme was that exports of deboned beef and derived products from Northern Ireland could recommence if these products came from animals which were born and raised in a certified BSE-free herd and had remained there all their lives.

12.13 Mr Liam McKibben of DANI told us that the historical data on the computer had been useful in the epidemiological investigation of the disease by the Veterinary Service. ¹⁸ The relevance of cattle-tracking in general to the BSE story is discussed in vol. 5: Animal Health, 1989-96.