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Pat McCormack, deputy president of the Irish Creamery and Milk Supply Association (ICMSA), has said that the latest figures from the ongoing BVD eradication programme show that "good progress has been made" in reducing and eradicating the BVD virus.
"But the pace would be much faster if the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine invested more resources in the programme over the short term and focused on removal of confirmed PIs (BVD persistently infected animals)", he added.
The number of PIs has decreased considerably since the beginning of the programme in 2013, with 13,868 confirmed PI calves in that year. In 2015, this number more than halved, with just 6,267 calves testing positive for BVD. So far in 2016, just over 2m calves have been tested, with over 99% of these testing negative for BVD. Out of the 1% which tested positive, 0.15% (3,046 calves) are confirmed PIs.
McCormack said he is "disappointed with the level of engagement the ICMSA has seen from the Department of Agriculture in the last number of months in relation to keeping the 2015 rollout of movement restrictions [on farmers who retain PI animals] up to date".
He also said there has been a low level of engagement from the Department in terms of paying compensation for 2015 PIs and notifying neighbours early in relation to the presence of PIs.
Where we have individuals who retain PIs then it’s the responsibility of the Minister and his Department to absolutely insist that the animals are removed
"Those notifications need to be fully automated as soon as possible but, in the meantime, it is essential that additional resources are given to the appropriate sections so as to ensure that PIs are removed as quickly as possible," McCormack said.
Removal times
Animal Health Ireland, which led the cross-industry BVD Implementation Group that developed the national BVD eradication programme, recommends that PI animals are culled or slaughtered "as soon as possible", and that they are strictly isolated until this is done.
This protocol is prescribed because BVD is highly contagious and PI cattle are main source of infection for other cattle in the farmer's own herd and neighbouring herds. Furthermore, contact with susceptible pregnant cattle is likely to lead to the birth of further PI calves.
The ICMSA says it has "repeatedly called for all PIs to be automatically removed before seven weeks of age". It added that now that the eradication programme is reaching "its critical stage, we need to see the increased compensation that would speed up the removal of PIs and ensure that farmers are not testing longer than needs be".
Compensation
As of 2015, beef farmers receive €140 for each beef breed PI born in a suckler herd that is disposed of to a knackery within five weeks of the first test. A reduced payment of €90 applies in respect of such calves disposed of to a knackery within seven weeks of the first test.
Compensation should be paid on all animals – including Friesian bulls
Dairy farmers receive a payment of €100 for each dairy breed PI heifer calf that is disposed to a knackery within five weeks of the first test. And a reduced payment of €50 applies in respect of calves disposed of to a knackery within seven weeks of the first test.
"Compensation should be paid on all animals – including Friesian bulls – but, most importantly, PI animals should be compulsorily removed at 10 weeks of age with compensation," McCormack added.
"Since the 2015 rollout of on-farm restrictions on those farmers that retain persistently infected animals, the rate of retention has reduced dramatically and this has had a very positive impact on the programme."
McCormack added that the one thing that has to be "avoided at all costs is a situation where farmers continue to participate in a BVD eradication programme spending millions while the Department continues to drag its feet and not push through to the successful conclusion that’s now within reach".
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