The highest level of compensation payment for calves identified as persistently infected (PI) under the Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) Eradication Programme is dependent on swift removal from your herd.

The supports available from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine differ between dairy and beef herds and are outlined as follows:

Dairy herds

  • €160 if the female dairy and dairy-cross calves are removed within 10 days of the first positive or inconclusive test.
  • €30 if the female dairy and dairy-cross calves are removed between day 11 and 21 of the first positive or inconclusive test.
  • €30 towards the disposal of dairy bull calves through the abattoir or knackery within 14 days of the first positive or inconclusive test.
  • Beef herds

  • €220 if the calf is removed within 10 days of the first positive or inconclusive test.
  • €30 if the calf is removed between day 11 and 21 of the first positive or inconclusive test.
  • Tighter constraints

    Announcing continued supports for 2020, Minister Creed said: “The eradication effort will be further enhanced by the proposed amendment to the existing regulations coming into effect in early 2020, whereby it will now be a legal requirement for all animals born on or before 1 January 2013 to have a known BVD status.”

    The compensation payments described above are not applicable to animals born prior to 2013 that will be tested for the first time in 2020.

    Herd restrictions

    Tighter restrictions introduced in recent years, that have delivered significant progress, continue in 2020. Automatic herd restrictions preventing the movement of animals will apply three weeks following the date of the original positive or inconclusive test where a death for the animal has not been recorded by that time on the Animal Identification and Movement (AIM) database.

    Confirmatory testing

    The support system also highlights “in the small number of cases where it is requested, confirmatory testing will be done through blood sampling similar to the arrangements in previous years. Under this arrangement, the Department will continue to fund the collection of blood samples by a private veterinary practitioner and their subsequent testing and, when sampled at the same time, testing of their dams”.

    The system of mandatory farm herd investigation once a PI is disclosed (TASAH) remains in place, with an increased level of testing taking place within these herds planned in 2020.

    Programme conclusion

    The BVD Eradication Programme is entering its eighth year of mandatory tissue sampling. This represents a significant cost at farm level.

    Table 1 details improvements that have been achieved and Minister Creed states that the BVD implementation group is continuing to consider what additional measures are needed to bring the eradication programme to as fast a conclusion as possible.

    He said account will also have to be taken during 2020 of animal health legislation coming into force in early 2021 and the required changes needed to achieve official recognition of the programme at EU level.