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Since its launch at the beginning of February, 30% of claims made under the Persistently Infected (PI) Removal Incentivisation Scheme have been unsuccessful, figures released by the Livestock and Meat Commission indicate.
The scheme was introduced to encourage the removal of PI calves under the bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) eradication scheme in Northern Ireland. The funding for the scheme comes under the £4.1m EU exceptional aid package.
Payment rates are set at £160 for beef calves, £130 for dairy heifers and £50 for dairy bull calves. Only calves destroyed after 1 February 2017 are eligible under the scheme rules.
Ineligible
The LMC has said that 44% of ineligible claims were due to calves not having a date of death recorded on APHIS online or notified to DAERA using an MC1 form within seven days of the animal’s declared date of death.
A further 36% of ineligible claims were due to PI calves not being destroyed within the time frames required by the scheme. The animal needs to be destroyed within four weeks of a positive test result, or six weeks if the owner decides to have a retest.
Low uptake
Last month, the Irish Farmers Journal reported that only 104 claims had been processed for the PI Removal Incentivisation Scheme, equating to a total compensation of £15,080 at that time.
Less than 50% of herdowners who are eligible to apply under the scheme have actually submitted a claim.
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