Farmer recalls impact of herd going down with TB

Life was pretty good for farmer Philip Smith in 1986.

Newly married, a first child on the way, building his house, adding a new shed and then it all fell apart. TB struck his herd.

“It left you with no confidence to go on,” he recalled at the IFA AGM in the Lavey Inn, bringing a personal dimension to the TB discussion. It was obvious Philip’s comments resonated with others.

He was milking around 21 cows and had further cattle at an out-farm. In total 19 of his herd went down with TB.

“Definitely they had TB there’s no doubt about that - there were lumps on them as big as duck eggs,” he told the Celt.

Philip noted that he was not permitted to drive the cattle to the designated site “over 100 miles” for disposal. An appointed lorry driver was hired. A vet and department officials attended his farm, leaving him to observe:

“Every man that stood in my yard was paid, and I presume well paid,” he said.

“All the Department officials were all paid. Me? Some of them cows at the time I’d say I didn’t get £300 for them - and it was take it or leave it.”

His wife was a wedding photographer at the time, and her income and support sustained the family through the ordeal.

“Only for my wife, your head would crack up. But it definitely broke me, I never actually got over it and that’s as true as I’m sitting here.”

While the experience will live with Philip, he’s nevertheless philosophical in outlook.

“Apart from the stigma being attached to it, it was the shock when you were thinking you were kind of going well. The only thing I had that stood to me was my health - and I still have it, and when you have health, you’re a millionaire.”