Although it is disappointing that Irish farmers are still dealing with bovine TB in the national herd, it is at least heartening to see that 95.48% of farmers received payments under the four TB grant schemes within three weeks of the date of receipt of the required documentation, as stipulated under the Farmers' Charter of Rights.
Valuation
A total of 3,375 farmers received payments in 2016 under the valuation scheme, which compensates for cattle removed as reactors. Of this amount 3,207 or 95% were paid within three weeks of the date of receipt of the required documentation.
Hardship scheme
Under the hardship scheme, which is designed to alleviate the costs difficulty of some owners whose holdings are restricted on foot of a herd retest and where animals are retained and fed during periods of restriction, payment was made to 1,331 farmers in 2016 and 96.9% of these were paid within three weeks.
Income supplement scheme
Some 2,703 farmers were paid under the income supplement scheme, payable in cases where disease breakdown results in the removal of more than 10% of animals in a herd. Out of this amount, 2,577 farmers were paid within three weeks (95.3%).
Depopulation grant
And under the depopulation grant, where a herd is depopulated (totally or partially) in the interest of disease control, 25 out of 26 farmers were paid within three weeks.
Although the prompt payment figures are welcome, in most cases the money paid out to farmers under the various TB grants does not compensate for the massive hardship caused by an infected animal or herd.
The Department has made great inroads in recent years into reducing the number of animals infected with bovine TB (reactors), which can be attributed in large part to the decision to tackle TB in wildlife, especially badgers.
Under the oversight of Margaret Good, former veterinary head of the TB eradication programme in the Department, TB in badgers has dropped by 50% since the early 2000s. The number of reactors has fallen in line with this, from approximately 45,000 in 1999 to 15,317 in 2015, the lowest level recorded since the country’s fight against bovine TB began more than 50 years ago.
One infection is still one too many
But one infection is still one too many, especially when many of our European neighbours and places such as Australia, which had one of the worst infection rates in the world, have managed to eradicate the disease.
The Department is currently working on a badger vaccination programme which it hopes will replace culling in the future, but this vaccination programme is still a long way off.
In the meantime, the Department needs to ensure that infection rates keep falling. This will require co-operation between the Department and farmers and vigilance on both sides, especially in relation to maintaining optimum biosecurity conditions on farms to reduce the risk of cattle and badgers sharing the same space. It also requires the swift restriction of herds, fast removal of reactors, strict adherence to retesting dates, greater use of blood sampling, research to improve the sensitivity of skin tests, and the continuation of the fight against TB in wildlife.
Only with a strong commitment from both sides to maintain constant vigilance can farmers look forward to a bovine TB-free Ireland.
Read more
Map: no recent progress on bovine TB
Although it is disappointing that Irish farmers are still dealing with bovine TB in the national herd, it is at least heartening to see that 95.48% of farmers received payments under the four TB grant schemes within three weeks of the date of receipt of the required documentation, as stipulated under the Farmers' Charter of Rights.
Valuation
A total of 3,375 farmers received payments in 2016 under the valuation scheme, which compensates for cattle removed as reactors. Of this amount 3,207 or 95% were paid within three weeks of the date of receipt of the required documentation.
Hardship scheme
Under the hardship scheme, which is designed to alleviate the costs difficulty of some owners whose holdings are restricted on foot of a herd retest and where animals are retained and fed during periods of restriction, payment was made to 1,331 farmers in 2016 and 96.9% of these were paid within three weeks.
Income supplement scheme
Some 2,703 farmers were paid under the income supplement scheme, payable in cases where disease breakdown results in the removal of more than 10% of animals in a herd. Out of this amount, 2,577 farmers were paid within three weeks (95.3%).
Depopulation grant
And under the depopulation grant, where a herd is depopulated (totally or partially) in the interest of disease control, 25 out of 26 farmers were paid within three weeks.
Although the prompt payment figures are welcome, in most cases the money paid out to farmers under the various TB grants does not compensate for the massive hardship caused by an infected animal or herd.
The Department has made great inroads in recent years into reducing the number of animals infected with bovine TB (reactors), which can be attributed in large part to the decision to tackle TB in wildlife, especially badgers.
Under the oversight of Margaret Good, former veterinary head of the TB eradication programme in the Department, TB in badgers has dropped by 50% since the early 2000s. The number of reactors has fallen in line with this, from approximately 45,000 in 1999 to 15,317 in 2015, the lowest level recorded since the country’s fight against bovine TB began more than 50 years ago.
One infection is still one too many
But one infection is still one too many, especially when many of our European neighbours and places such as Australia, which had one of the worst infection rates in the world, have managed to eradicate the disease.
The Department is currently working on a badger vaccination programme which it hopes will replace culling in the future, but this vaccination programme is still a long way off.
In the meantime, the Department needs to ensure that infection rates keep falling. This will require co-operation between the Department and farmers and vigilance on both sides, especially in relation to maintaining optimum biosecurity conditions on farms to reduce the risk of cattle and badgers sharing the same space. It also requires the swift restriction of herds, fast removal of reactors, strict adherence to retesting dates, greater use of blood sampling, research to improve the sensitivity of skin tests, and the continuation of the fight against TB in wildlife.
Only with a strong commitment from both sides to maintain constant vigilance can farmers look forward to a bovine TB-free Ireland.
Read more
Map: no recent progress on bovine TB
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