Former agriculture minister Brendan Smith has said he is concerned that valuable pedigree lines could be lost as a result of TB and has called for an increase in compensation levels.

“I have concern about the compensation being adequate for pedigree cattle. Those of us who were reared on farms and represent rural communities take great pride in looking at quality animals at our shows every year and in visiting individual farmers.

“I have a concern that valuable pedigree lines could be lost. I know of some individual farmers who win national awards every year and would have a number of substantive pedigree herds. If they are unfortunate enough to have a partial or total depopulation, it will mean financial ruin for them.

“I emphasise again that our farmers have built up quality herds over the years. When disease comes into a herd it is, to use a phrase we have often heard, like a death in the family,” he told the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue in the Dáil this week.

Mart prices

Smith said the current compensation levels do not reflect the reality of the prices paid in marts today, echoing calls made by the Irish Cattle and Sheep Association (ICSA) last week.

The caps are outdated at present, he said.

“The minister knows from talking to farmers at the marts and from being in the mart himself that the prices for a number of cattle are exceeding the maximum payment the Department can pay in respect of a depopulated animal.

“That live valuation scheme needs to be amended. There is also a need for simplification. I hope the minister will amend the scheme to ensure that the true market value of the animals being depopulated will be reflected in the compensation payment,” he said.

Ceilings

In response, Minister McConlogue said that the TB forum’s financial working group is considering the compensation payments at present.

“The current animal ceiling under the on-farm market value scheme is €3,000 in respect of an individual bovine, except in the case of a stock bull where the ceiling is €4,000 or a pedigree stock bull in the same breakdown episode which has a ceiling of €5,000.

“However, it is all being considered by the financial working group,” he said.