Pre-movement brucellosis testing on animals over 60 days since their last test in Ireland could be a thing of the past, as Northern Ireland seems set to apply for official brucellosis-free (OBF) status early next year.

On Tuesday, Northern Ireland’s Agriculture Minister Michelle O’Neill announced that from Monday, 3 November “the age threshold at which cattle require a brucellosis pre-movement test will increase from 12 to 24 months and the window for a single movement will be extended from 30 to 60 days from the date of sampling, on receipt of a negative test result”.

March next year will mark three years since the last confirmed case of brucellosis in the north and therefore the country can apply for OBF status.

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Minister O’Neill’s announcement came shortly after farm organisations in the south met with Department of Agriculture officials in Dublin over brucellosis testing arrangements. According to both the ICSA and the IFA, clear indications were given that changes to testing in the south will be made should the north be able to remain brucellosis-free.

“ICSA believes that it will be appropriate to end round testing for brucellosis in 2015 and we would also like to see an end to pre-movement testing for the disease, depending of course on progress in achieving brucellosis-free status in Northern Ireland,” said ICSA animal health group chairman John Barron.

Bert Stewart, animal health chairman with the IFA, said the progress Northern Ireland has made has “considerably reduced the threat of the disease being reintroduced into the country and paves the way for the phased removal of all the testing obligations over the coming year for farmers in the Republic”.

Stewart also said that “it is now timely and appropriate to finally remove the last remaining cost burdens of this disease”.

He added: “It is over five years since brucellosis-free status was attained in the Republic and when combined with the diminishing risk from Northern Ireland, continuing to monitor 20% of herds for brucellosis annually and the 60-day pre-movement test for breeding animals over 24 months of age are now an unnecessary cost and trade disruption for farmers.”

He said this proposal would deliver €6m worth of savings to Irish farmers.