Relaxation of brucellosis testing to save farmers €2.5m annually

DAIRY and beef farmers will save €2.5 million annually thanks to the relaxation of brucellosis blood testing for suckler and dry stock herds, according to the Irish Farmers Association (IFA).

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has decided to exempt 50% of suckler and dry stock herds from Brucellosis tests. This should save farmers €2.5m during 2011.

This decision will remove 800,000 animals from the testing regime in 2011.

Taken in tandem with substantial changes to the Brucellosis Eradication Scheme announced in 2009, more than 2.1 million animals will be removed from the testing programme in 2011.

Savings for the three years from 2009 to 2011 will amount €7.5m.

IFA animal health project team chairman, John Waters, said: “Farmers have invested heavily in the fight to eradicate brucellosis over the years and are now starting to see real benefits of Brucellosis-free status with the relaxation of controls and the cost savings as a result.

“It is over four years since there was a Brucellosis case in Ireland and we must continue to remove the costs associated with this disease in a phased and appropriate manner.

“While there remains a threat from the situation in Northern Ireland, maintaining the pre-movement test, continuing with the milk ring test and the cull cow monitoring in factories, combined with testing 50% of suckler and dairy herds, exceeds the minimum requirements laid down by the commission to maintain our official Brucellosis free status. Along with these controls farmers along the border continue to have their animals tested twice a year as a further precaution.”

Mr Waters said farmers must remain vigilant to avoid reintroduction of the disease and he strongly advised farmers to only purchase animals from reputable sources.

He said that farmers will not be able to avail of the full benefits of Brucellosis free status until the disease is eradicated in the North and he called on the authorities in the North to make every effort to finally rid the island of the disease.

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Brendan Smith, said the relaxation of blood tests followed a decision by the European Union last year to grant officially Brucellosis-free status to Ireland.

He added that the 50% testing in 2011 will strike a balance between the need to adopt a cautious approach to the scaling down of the controls, on the one hand, and his desire to remove costs both for farmers and the department, on the other.

Changes from 2009 continuing into 2011 include: the increase of the annual round test age threshold from 12 to 24 months; the 50% cut in the annual round test; and increase of the pre-movement test from 30 to 60 days.

Mr Smith said: “There has been no adverse outcome from these changes. It is essential that farmers continue to adopt appropriate replacement policies and effective bio-security measures.

“Gaining brucellosis-free status for Ireland was a major achievement and we must continue to build on the country’s high international animal health status, with benefits for all concerned,” he said.