Dear Sir: Farmers have strongly supported the BVD eradication programme to date, investing almost €40m since 2012. Significant progress has been made in achieving a huge reduction in the disease.

Some 33,635 PI animals have been removed since 2013. We now have fewer than 230 out of 115,000 herds with a PI alive on the holding. AHI data shows fewer than 500 PI animals still alive in the national herd of 7.1m.

However, the benefits will only accrue in a meaningful way for farmers with the ending of testing and a reduction in the necessity to vaccinate.

Farmers who have invested heavily on the understanding that a lower-cost testing alternative would be made available are very disappointed to learn from the presentations given to the BVD Implementation Group two weeks ago that no such feasible option exists.

This information was readily available when the programme was originally developed and should have been factored in.

The original programme was based on three years of tissue-tag testing and a further two to three years of lower level monitoring. All farmers have done four years, and in some cases five. The goalposts have now changed, with tissue tagging set to continue.

This latest development will increase the costs for farmers. IFA is requesting that the Department of Agriculture provide financial supports to off-set this.

Measures to ensure that the small numbers of PIs which remain on farms are disposed of in a timely manner must be improved. IFA has consistently sought stronger support payments for farmers who dispose of PI animals.

The benefits of BVD-free status extend beyond the farm gate. It is incumbent on all involved to ensure the programme succeeds and BVD is eradicated to provide the return promised to farmers on their huge investment.