Changes in brucellosis testing arrangements to save farmers €5m

CHANGES in brucellosis testing will save farmers around €5 million, Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Minister Brendan Smith has announced.

It follows the recent EU Commission decision granting Ireland officially brucellosis-free status.

An increase in the age threshold for annual round testing to 24 months, and an increase in the validity period of pre-movement tests from 30 days to 60 days are among the changes. It also includes an increase in the age-limit for the pre-movement test for female animals from 12 to 18 months and to 24 months for bulls.

The pre-movement test “one sale” rule applying to female cattle aged 18 months or more remains.

However, the “one sale” rule for bulls increases from 12 to 24 months.

The changes will be implemented immediately.

Mr Smith said he had decided on further steps to be taken in 2010 and in 2011 in scaling down the testing programme.

Dairy herds scheduled to be tested in 2010 and 2011 will now be tested every second year, commencing on January 1 next. This excludes 550,000 animals each year from the test.

Mr Smith said the new arrangements will reduce costs to farmers by removing the need to test about a quarter of all eligible animals during an annual herd testing period.

In addition, the extension of the pre-movement test to 60 days combined with the increase in the age threshold to 18 months for female animals will result in further significant savings for farmers.

Mr Smith said attaining official brucellosis-free status was a landmark in the history of disease eradication in Ireland but warned that there is no room for complacency.