The Republic of Ireland (ROI) has moved closer to being granted BVD-free status after it applied to the EU for official recognition of its current BVD eradication programme.

“We are hopeful that this will be approved shortly. This is one of the last steps in the process towards BVD free status,” said a spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture in Dublin.

Official approval of the BVD programme in ROI will have implications for the movement of cattle from NI into the south.

DAERA guidance states breeding livestock moving from NI to ROI will have to meet “additional BVD requirements” which is likely to include both blood testing and a 21-day quarantine period.

Industry representatives have been calling on DAERA to introduce a system which assigns a BVD status to individual herds in NI. This would mean fewer obstacles for NI farmers who export cattle to ROI if their herd is already deemed BVD-free.

When ROI is eventually granted full BVD-free status, which is expected to happen in 2023, all cattle from NI that have been vaccinated for BVD will not be permitted to move to ROI.