Exotic diseases pose massive challenge

IRELAND has fallen behind other EU countries in measures against damaging new exotic cattle diseases, according to one of the country's top vets.

As a result, diseases which can ravage herds and devastate incomes could be among the biggest challenges to farmers in the future, said Co Meath veterinary practitioner Frank O'Sullivan at the Irish Farmer's Monthly Adare, Co Limerick, seminar on Maximising Beef Profits.

He said Irish authorities have failed to prevent the import of new diseases. Eradication has not been tackled either, while other EU countries are well on the way to eradicating diseases like Bovine Viral Diarrhoea and Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR).