Be vigilant of bluetongue threat

DAERA chief vet Robert Huey has urged farmers to remain vigilant for signs of bluetongue virus after the disease was found in a number of French cattle imports.

The animals were part of a consignment of 32 cattle imported from an assembly centre in France, in an area where multiple cases of bluetongue have been confirmed since September this year. The cattle ended up on four farms in Scotland and England.

All of the animals that have tested positive for the virus, or that are at a high risk of being infected, will be culled. Movement restrictions have been placed on each of the four farms.

“While I am pleased that the robust disease surveillance procedures in operation across the UK have worked, the identification offers a timely reminder to farmers of the risks of importing animals from disease-affected areas into their herds,” said Huey.

He added: “Anyone who does take a risk, faces the possibility that if the imported animals are subsequently found to be infected with bluetongue, they will be slaughtered and no compensation will be paid.”

Bluetongue is transmitted by midges and affects cows, goats and sheep.

Signs of the disease include eye and nasal discharge, drooling, swelling around the head or mouth, lethargy and lameness.

The last case of the disease in Britain came in 2007. The UK has been officially free of the disease since 2011. That disease-free status is still in place, and exports are not affected.

New direction for livestock genetics

Work is continuing within DAERA to develop a business case designed to secure funding from the Department of Finance for a livestock genetic improvement programme in NI.

Up to this point, the genetics programme has been taken forward by the Agri-Food Strategy Board, under the chairmanship of Tony O’Neill, with a genetics sub-group led by former UFU president Ian Marshall.

However, with the tenure of the board now finished, it seems that DAERA has decided that responsibility for the programme should move to a new, recently established industry group that doesn’t include former members of the Agri-Food Strategy Board. The new group is understood to be made up of senior representatives from the Livestock and Meat Commission, the Ulster Farmers’ Union, Dairy UK and the NI Meat Exporters’ Association.

Sheep conference in November

A conference focussed on efficient lamb production is to be held at Greenmount next month with a range of speakers from practical farming and research backgrounds.

The event is being organised by the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU), the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC), the Agri Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), CAFRE and the National Sheep Association (NSA).

The conference is open to anyone interested in sheep farming and will take place on Wednesday 29 November from 10am to 4pm at CAFRE’s Greenmount Campus.

The fee is £20 and places can be booked at www.ufu.org or by calling 02890 370 222.