Pessimism and scepticism is hampering farmers from implementing recommended measures to prevent the spread of bovine TB, a study by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) suggests.
The study’s lead author suggested that demonstrations of biosecurity measures may be more effective than reissuing biosecurity guidance.
The think-tank’s behavioural research unit held 60 in-depth interviews with farmers and carried out a survey experiment with 824 farmers.
The ESRI said they found a sense of pessimism and lack of control around bTB, alongside scepticism about some prevention measures.
Many farmers feel they cannot meaningfully reduce risk because of wildlife transmission and testing delays, and this sense of fatalism may reduce motivation to take preventive actions.
Farmers described breakdowns as mentally and financially draining, and cited repeated testing, trade restrictions and uncertainty as major burdens.
However, past experience of a breakdown was not associated with stronger preventive behaviour.
The study found that most farmers were aware of official biosecurity guidance, but good understanding and awareness was not linked to stronger biosecurity practices.
Instead, whether a farmer implements recommended biosecurity measures on their farm depended on whether they believe those measures would reduce bTB risk.
Some measures are perceived as more worthwhile than others: farmers rated actions that prevent bTB entering the farm – 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.
Farmers were pessimistic about eradication of bTB in the next 10 years, with most expecting the situation to remain the same.
When ranking the biggest barriers to eradication, farmers top-cited concerns were not enough culling of wildlife and purchasing from herds with a history of bTB.
The majority of those sampled (80%) said it should be mandatory to provide information on the bTB history of herd when selling.
“These findings suggest that communications about biosecurity need to demonstrate the effectiveness of specific recommended measures,” said Dr Deirdre Robertson, lead author of the report.
“Evidence-based narratives, peer-to-peer engagement and practical demonstrations may be more useful than only supplying information about bTB or reiterating existing guidance.”
Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon said the ESRI’s report was “valuable” and its findings would be applied to the TB programme.
He said: “This important piece of work provides significant insights into farmers’ behaviour on the effectiveness of biosecurity measures in preventing bovine tuberculosis (bTB) and the mental and financial toll on farm families of a bTB breakdown as well as the value of effective communication.
“My department will apply the findings of this report to the TB programme as we move forward with the implementation of the bTB action plan this year.”
