Animal Health Ireland announce the BVD action plan for 2026
AHI have launched it's new BVD Action Plan for 2026.
The 2026 action plan for Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) has been announced by Animal Health Ireland (AHI).
It aims to further accelerate progress towards BVD freedom while supporting farmers and the wider agri-industry. Since its establishment, the programme has dropped the number of BVD-positive herds from 11,000 to over 200.
BVD and IBR programme manager at AHI, Dr Maria Guelbenzu, said: “Lead by cutting-edge science and research from the BVD Technical Working Group, we are continuing to make real and tangible progress in our ambition to eradicate BVD. We must double down and push forward as an industry to ensure there is no slippage and we reach our collective goal of BVD freedom as soon as possible.”
Areas being addressed in the new action plan include:
- Pre-movement tests to reduce the risk of spreading infections to other herds.
- Tailored investigations for herds that are positive for more than one year.
- Application of tracing tools in herd investigations to identify risks and act early.
- Reinforce support for farmers and vets when dealing with an outbreak.
- Develop and enhance training and resources for farmers to safeguard their herds and help vets working with at-risk herds.
- Promote good biosecurity practices in herds at risk to minimise the risk of introduction.
- Communications campaigns around breakdowns, including upgraded neighbour notifications by text and letter, as well as targeted campaigns in at-risk areas.
Commenting on the action plan, AHI chairman James Lynch, said: “AHI, working with farmers, vets, the department and industry, remains fully committed to supporting farmers through this critical phase and ensuring the long-term protection of Ireland’s national herd. We will continue to work with farmers to ensure we deliver this together.”
Also presented at the announcement was an overview of the annual economic impact delivered by the BVD Eradication Programme.
The report was conducted by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), with scientific guidance from Dr Michael Gunn. According to the report, the total economic benefit to Irish agriculture is €184.21m annually, comprising avoided losses and reduced vaccination costs, against a net gain of €10.3m to the farmer.
Commenting on the economic analysis, AHI CEO Patrick Donohoe said: “BVD is a very worrying disease for farmers to contend with. Over the course of the last decade, we have seen healthier calves on farms as the rate of BVD herds reduced.
"An annual delivery to the economy of €184m is a true reflection of the success of the programme, and we must all focus our efforts as we push towards BVD freedom.”
