The head of Animal Health Ireland (AHI) would not name a target year for eradicating bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) as he sought to avoid creating a “stick to beat what is a really good programme”.
Speaking before the Oireachtas agriculture committee, AHI CEO Patrick Donohoe said that he was “reluctant to put a date” on the wrapping up of the BVD eradication programme, but insisted that eradicating the virus is AHI’s “number one priority”.
“Definitive dates have been put on this before and I don’t think it is helpful to put a definitive date on it now,” Donohoe told TDs and senators on Wednesday.
“The commitment that I and the rest of AHI have made and will make is that we are going absolutely full throttle to get this done ASAP.
Commitments
“There might have been commitments made at the start to say we will be done in the next number of [years] and now we are here. We can’t un-ring the bell there.
“But you have to look at where you were and where we are.”
The committee heard that there are signs of progress on reducing BVD numbers this year in comparison with 2025, with the virus detected in around 100 herds since January.
Donohoe said that the number of BVD calves identified has dropped 44%, while the virus has shown up in up to 18% fewer herds.
“We are on a good road, but have to finish it now,” the AHI CEO commented.
"Progress is rarely linear and can be an uphill battle at all times requiring tweaks and changes.
"But the facts speak for themselves: the BVD programme has delivered, it is delivering and it will deliver BVD freedom if we stand together and finish the job."
Read more
AHI 'hugely frustrated ' with An Post's handling of BVD samples
The head of Animal Health Ireland (AHI) would not name a target year for eradicating bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) as he sought to avoid creating a “stick to beat what is a really good programme”.
Speaking before the Oireachtas agriculture committee, AHI CEO Patrick Donohoe said that he was “reluctant to put a date” on the wrapping up of the BVD eradication programme, but insisted that eradicating the virus is AHI’s “number one priority”.
“Definitive dates have been put on this before and I don’t think it is helpful to put a definitive date on it now,” Donohoe told TDs and senators on Wednesday.
“The commitment that I and the rest of AHI have made and will make is that we are going absolutely full throttle to get this done ASAP.
Commitments
“There might have been commitments made at the start to say we will be done in the next number of [years] and now we are here. We can’t un-ring the bell there.
“But you have to look at where you were and where we are.”
The committee heard that there are signs of progress on reducing BVD numbers this year in comparison with 2025, with the virus detected in around 100 herds since January.
Donohoe said that the number of BVD calves identified has dropped 44%, while the virus has shown up in up to 18% fewer herds.
“We are on a good road, but have to finish it now,” the AHI CEO commented.
"Progress is rarely linear and can be an uphill battle at all times requiring tweaks and changes.
"But the facts speak for themselves: the BVD programme has delivered, it is delivering and it will deliver BVD freedom if we stand together and finish the job."
Read more
AHI 'hugely frustrated ' with An Post's handling of BVD samples
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