Breed success, not disease: Animal Health Ireland launches biosecurity week
'Biosecurity can sometimes be an afterthought on farms, but the decisions farmers make today can impact their operations and profits for years to come.'
The first-ever national biosecurity week has been announced ahead of the breeding season.
Animal Health Ireland (AHI) is behind the campaign themed ‘Biosecurity 2026: Breed Success, Not Disease’. The event aims to emphasise biosecurity is not just for one week, it is for life and is central to all farm decisions.
As the breeding season and summer periods will bring increased footfall to farms, strengthening biosecurity protocols on all farms now is critical.
Poor biosecurity during breeding season can bring diseases such as BVD onto farms. These diseases can impact conception rates, cause pregnancy losses, and compromise calf viability, ultimately costing farmers thousands of euros in lost income and veterinary bills. Simple, cost-effective measures can protect farmers’ breeding programmes.
The campaign will be week-long and will deliver key advice from the AHI Biosecurity Technical Working Group:
- Day 1: Launch of Biosecurity: Breed Success, Not Disease;
- Day 2: Buyer Beware, Managing the Stock Bull;
- Day 3: Locking Out Disease, Visitors Can Carry More Than Advice;
- Day 4: Vaccinations, Why They're Critical;
- Day 5: Fence it Out, Keeping Diseases Out of Your Herd.
AHI programme manager Liam Doyle said: "Farmers often ask ‘what is biosecurity?’ and the simple answer is doing everything you can to keep disease off the farm. Biosecurity is more than a buzzword; it's an insurance for your farm, protecting your herd and your profits.
"Biosecurity can sometimes be an afterthought on farms, but the decisions farmers make today can impact their operations and profits for years to come.”
For more information, educational resources and guidance will be available throughout the week via the AHI website.
