The changes to brucellosis testing include:
the annual round test, under which some 600,000 animals have been tested annually in recent years, will no longer be carried out in 2015the milk elisa test will be discontinued from 1 January 2015the remaining pre-movement testing requirement which applies to older animals is also to be removedThe precise timing of removal of movement controls will be dependent on progress in Northern Ireland in achieving Officially Bovine Free status so that this step is taken in a context where the entire island has been recognised by the EU as being entirely free from the disease.
The Department of Agriculture says farmers should continue to submit aborted foetuses to the regional laboratories of the Department for testing in order to ensure the early detection of any outbreak of this disease.
Commenting on the changes, Minister Coveney stated “Against a background where there has been no Brucellosis outbreak in the national herd since 2006 and none in Northern Ireland since 2012, it is now appropriate to scale back further on the scale of testing for the disease in 2015 and onwards”.
Reaction
IFA Animal Health chairman Bert Stewart has welcomed the announcement saying it is in line with the changes sought by IFA and represent direct savings of in excess of €6m annually for farmers.
Ceasing annual herd monitoring in the remaining 20% of herds from the 1 January will return immediate savings to farmers and discontinuing the pre-movement test for all females and bulls over 24 months of age when Northern Ireland achieve free status early next year removes the last trade prohibitive measure for these animals.
The removal of the 60 pre-movement test will allow farmers utilise the mart more as an alternative outlet for forward store and finished heifers in particular without incurring the costs of pre-movement testing, this will provide important price competition and will be of major benefit to marts.
Bert Stewart said the phased approach adopted since achieving Brucellosis free status in 2009 was prudent and correct while the disease remained in Northern Ireland. However, with the Northern authorities on track to achieve free status in early 2015 it is timely to remove the final cost burden and trade prohibitive measures for farmers.
The changes to brucellosis testing include:
the annual round test, under which some 600,000 animals have been tested annually in recent years, will no longer be carried out in 2015the milk elisa test will be discontinued from 1 January 2015the remaining pre-movement testing requirement which applies to older animals is also to be removedThe precise timing of removal of movement controls will be dependent on progress in Northern Ireland in achieving Officially Bovine Free status so that this step is taken in a context where the entire island has been recognised by the EU as being entirely free from the disease.
The Department of Agriculture says farmers should continue to submit aborted foetuses to the regional laboratories of the Department for testing in order to ensure the early detection of any outbreak of this disease.
Commenting on the changes, Minister Coveney stated “Against a background where there has been no Brucellosis outbreak in the national herd since 2006 and none in Northern Ireland since 2012, it is now appropriate to scale back further on the scale of testing for the disease in 2015 and onwards”.
Reaction
IFA Animal Health chairman Bert Stewart has welcomed the announcement saying it is in line with the changes sought by IFA and represent direct savings of in excess of €6m annually for farmers.
Ceasing annual herd monitoring in the remaining 20% of herds from the 1 January will return immediate savings to farmers and discontinuing the pre-movement test for all females and bulls over 24 months of age when Northern Ireland achieve free status early next year removes the last trade prohibitive measure for these animals.
The removal of the 60 pre-movement test will allow farmers utilise the mart more as an alternative outlet for forward store and finished heifers in particular without incurring the costs of pre-movement testing, this will provide important price competition and will be of major benefit to marts.
Bert Stewart said the phased approach adopted since achieving Brucellosis free status in 2009 was prudent and correct while the disease remained in Northern Ireland. However, with the Northern authorities on track to achieve free status in early 2015 it is timely to remove the final cost burden and trade prohibitive measures for farmers.
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