The new compensations payments for the TB programme which were agreed on Tuesday will significantly reduce the burden TB for farmers, IFA animal health chair TJ Maher has said.

The new arrangements, he said, will reduce the burden and costs associated with TB breakdowns on farms and the additional resources for the wildlife control programme addresses one of the key drivers of the disease in cattle.

The changes to the live valuation scheme will also help in ensuring that farmers receive the correct market price for the animals taken from their farms.

“The other significant change to the schemes is that farmers will now become eligible for these payments on the date the reactors are identified on the farm as opposed to the date of removal from the farm recognising the immediate income loss experienced,” he said.

Change

Maher added that another fundamental change which has been agreed allows farmers purchase in animals when restricted, while still retaining live valuation entitlement for the purchased in animals and income supplement entitlement for the herd, removing the financial risk from purchasing in and allowing farmers maintain their on-farm production levels.

Contentious

One of the most contentious issues dealt with in the group, according to Maher was the EU Animal Health Law 30-day TB Pre/Post Movement Testing requirement.

Maher said reaching agreement on all of these measures required agreement on a funding model for the next two years. This agreement has Department of Agriculture and farmer funding commitments.

“The agreements reached yesterday must now be transposed immediately into the Terms and Conditions for the schemes; implemented on the ground in the manner and spirit in which they were agreed; and farmers better supported in farming their way out of this disease on their farms,” he said.

“While huge progress has been made, there are still a number of issues to be resolved. IFA will continue to engage in the TB Forum process to further enhance the TB programme and expedite the eradication of the disease,” Maher concluded.