There has been a high volume of enquiries in recent weeks regarding the payment of BVD support payments for persistently infected (PI) calves born in 2015.

This follows an article at the end of July stating that it was hoped BVD payments would be finalised in the following three weeks.

The latest update on Wednesday from the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM) is as follows: “These supports, which have to comply with EU Commission State Aid rules (de minimis), are now entering their final checking phase with a view to payments issuing next week.”

In the region of 2,048 beef and 1,437 dairy PI calves were previously reported as applying for support payments under the 2016 scheme for animals born in 2015.

For animals born in 2016 and subsequently identified as a PI, DAFM explains application forms are issued to farmers once an animal has been identified. Only one form is required, regardless of the number of PIs identified in a herd. The closing date for receipt of applications is 3 March 2017. There is a payment of €140 for each beef breed PI born in a suckler herd that is disposed to a knackery, meat plant or abattoir within five weeks of the first test and €120 for each dairy breed PI born in a dairy herd. This reduces to €90 and €70 respectively where disposal is within seven weeks of the first test.

The BVD eradication programme has gained close attention in the last week, as we report here. The latest results of the programme from the Animal Health Ireland website are shown in the table.