Teagasc Moorepark under ‘TB-related’ restrictions
As of June 8, just under 6,500 herds have suffered a TB breakdown, and 43,000 reactors have been disclosed within the last 12 months. File picture: iStock
Teagasc Moorepark is currently under TB restrictions.
Attendees at its annual open day, which took place on Wednesday, July 3, were told that due to the restrictions, heightened biosecurity protocols would apply.
Footbaths were made available at the start, end and throughout the planned route of the day.
Disinfection mats for cars were also present at the entry and exit.
The open day route took attendees on a meandering route through Moorepark fields.
In the opening briefing before getting to the main event, attendees were informed that grazing by the Moorepark herd was restricted along the route.
Breaking tradition, no live animals were on display at this year’s event, with Teagasc opting instead for plastic, replacements, or cardboard cutouts as visual aids and props throughout the displays.
Attendees were informed to thoroughly disinfect footwear and to be mindful that disinfectant only works on clean footwear.
TB levels in Ireland have reached the highest the country has seen in the last 15 years.
As of March 30, herd incidence is reported as 6.18% by the Department of Agriculture, already surpassing 2024’s figure of 6.04% herd incidence by the end of the year.
In a recent oireachtas meeting, it was revealed that as of June 8, just under 6,500 herds have suffered a TB breakdown, and 43,000 reactors have been disclosed within the last 12 months.
Within the same period, just under 43,000 reactors have been disclosed, a 35% increase on the figure recorded in the same period the previous year, which was just under 32,000 reactors.
The meeting also heard that dealing with the ongoing battle of Bovine TB (TB) will cost Ireland €130m this year.
With the current disease levels, it was also estimated that the cost of the eradication programme could reach €170m in 2026.
