Over 350 BVD ‘name and shame’ letters in 2018

The Department of Agriculture uses a system of warning letters, herd restrictions and neighbour notifications to get rid of PI calves on farms.

Amy Forde

20 March 2019

Over 350 BVD ‘name and shame’ letters in 2018

Some 351 bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) neighbour notifications, dubbed “name and shame” letters, were issued to farmers in 2018, figures from the Department of Agriculture show.

Since 2016, some 1,634 letters, which tell a farmer if a neighbouring herd is retaining a persistently infected (PI) calf, were issued.

Last year 163 restriction notices issued to farmers in 2018. There was 14 herds restricted in 2018, the figures show.

The number of BVD-positive herds in 2019 could fall to about 400, half the number of 2018, chief executive of Animal Health Ireland David Graham said in January.

“Progress continues to be made in the programme, with the numbers of PIs alive currently at historically low levels,” he said.

BVD postage costs rise by 11%

Record number of empty tags

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