The seasonal narrative suggests reduced risk — “no midges in winter” — yet anecdotal evidence suggests vectors have not disappeared entirely. On my own holding, my calves tested clear for TB this week. With beef animals in particular, it is simply not worth the risk that a finished animal might fail to enter the food chain. Meanwhile, as you’ll read on P13, factory data show TB lesions detected at slaughter have doubled over a five-year period. So much for a quiet week in agriculture.

Source: Irish Examiner February 12, 2026 22:22 UTC