Pig farmers urged to be alert to threat of virus
Savings in cattle-testing costs, estimated at €6m per year, have been welcomed by livestock farmers, stemming from substantial changes to the national brucellosis control regime, announced by Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney, yesterday. He said that the changes for 2015 and onwards will end routine on-farm brucellosis testing.
He said: “Having complied fully with EU requirements for mandatory levels of testing for a period following achievement of officially brucellosis-free status in 2009, which has now come to an end, we now have greater freedom to put in place arrangements which best meet the needs of our situation.
