13 years down the line, why farmers are still waiting for an end to BVD testing
Suckler and dairy farmers face ongoing uncertainty as there is still no confirmed end date in sight for Ireland's multi-million-euro Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) eradication programme.
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Agriland
4 hours ago
- Agriland
NI farmers advised to ensure no cattle in herd with BVD risk
Animal Health and Welfare Northern Ireland (AHWNI) is advising farmers to ensure that there are no cattle in their herds that could be potential sources of BVD infection. According to AHWNI, animals with undisclosed infection can present a BVD risk to the rest of the herd, to neighbouring herds, or to purchasing herds, by being the cause of transient infections that allow the virus to circulate. It said that the presence of the BVD virus in a herd can be very costly, as its immunosuppressive effects can put transiently infected cattle at risk of pneumonias and scours. The AHWNI highlighted that this month (June 2025), the Department of Agriculture, Enterprise and Rural Affairs (DAERA), commenced the process of restricting herds with more than 20 cattle over 30 days of age that have not had a BVD test result recorded. It claimed that just over 100 herd owners have been informed that their herd will be restricted after 28 days if all animals over 30 days of age are not BVD tested. It also said that all moves in and out will be prohibited, except for movements to direct slaughter. Farmers who receive a warning letter from DAERA are strongly advised to act without delay to avoid their herd being restricted. BVD AHWNI has said that from December 1, 2025, the threshold will be changed, so that movement restrictions will be applied by DAERA on herds with 10 or more BVD unknown status (BVDU) cattle. It also explained that restrictions on herds with BVDUs will be lifted immediately on confirmation of a negative BVD result for all cattle more than 30 days old. In a statement, AHWNI said: 'Testing should be carried out using supplementary tags or blood samples taken by a private vet. 'As the drive to stamp out BVD continues, herd owners are urged to test newborn calves promptly and to ensure that test results are returned for all cattle. Any that have a 'no sample' report returned should be retested as soon as possible,' it added.
Agriland
31-05-2025
- Agriland
NI brucellosis compensation rates for June 2025
The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has published the brucellosis compensation rates for Northern Ireland for June 2025. Farmers are compensated for losses if animals have to be slaughtered under DAERA's brucellosis prevention and eradication control programme. The compensation payable, for reactors and negative in contacts for which notice of intended slaughter is issued in June 2025 will be either: 75% of the animal's market value; 75% of £2,632 (75% of £2,932 in the case of pedigree animals). Valuations on animals are carried out by a DAERA livestock valuation officer and, in the case of a disagreement over the DAERA valuation, a second individual valuation is carried out by an independent valuer. DAERA Separately DAERA has advised that from Sunday (June 1) bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) herd restrictions are being introduced for herds with animals over 30-days-old that have not been tested for BVD. New BVD legislation, which came into force in Northern Ireland on February 1, 2025, introduced a number of BVD control measures in a phased manner. Initially targeting herds with positive animals these measures will now be extended from Sunday to introduce movement restrictions on herds with animals over 30 days old that have not been tested for BVD. These measures will initially be applied if there are 20 or more untested animals in a herd, with the threshold for the application of restrictions being reduced over the next 12 months. Herd restrictions will prohibit all moves into the herd, and all moves out except to direct slaughter or for disposal. The Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir, has warned that in Northern Ireland there are a 'small cohort of farmers that are not testing all their animals for BVD on time, some of which may be infected with the virus, therefore posing a risk to their herd and to other herds.' The minister said: 'I therefore urge all farmers to test their calves promptly and test any BVDU status cattle in their herd either by using a supplementary ear tag or through blood sampling carried out by their own vet. 'Only through the concerted efforts of all livestock keepers will we continue to make progress towards the eradication of this disease in Northern Ireland.'
Agriland
28-05-2025
- Agriland
NI BVD restrictions to target herds with untested animals from June
Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), Andrew Muir, is advising herd keepers that from June 1, 2025 bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) herd restrictions are being introduced for herds with animals over 30-days-old that have not been tested for BVD. BVD is a highly contagious disease which reduces the productivity and profitability of affected herds, as well as compromising animal welfare. It is mainly spread by persistently infected (PI) cattle, which are born with the disease, having come into contact with the virus in the womb. The virus can spread by other routes, including transiently infected cattle, which produce less virus for two to three weeks, after which they recover. In March 2016, DAERA introduced legislation which requires herd keepers to tag and test all newborn calves for BVD. This legislation is being implemented by the industry body Animal Health and Welfare Northern Ireland (AHWNI). At the end of September 2024, herd level incidence was 2.43% (for the 12 months from October 1, 2023) representing a decrease of 74% from the end of the first year of the programme. Animal incidence was 0.201%. On February 1, 2025, new BVD legislation came into force which gives DAERA powers to apply herd restrictions to herds with BVD positive or inconclusive animals, and to herds with animals of unknown BVD status. Today (Wednesday, May 28) Minister Muir said: 'BVD is a serious and highly contagious endemic disease of cattle, which significantly compromises animal health. 'I am pleased that most farmers appreciate the impact this disease has on productivity and profitability and are therefore acting promptly to reduce the risks to their herds. 'There are, however, a small cohort of farmers that are not testing all their animals for BVD on time, some of which may be infected with the virus, therefore posing a risk to their herd and to other herds. 'No herds need to be restricted because of untested animals if herd keepers comply with existing legal requirements and ensure all their animals are promptly tested for BVD,' the minister added. He has urged all farmers to test their calves promptly and test any BVDU status cattle in their herd either by using a supplementary ear tag or through blood sampling carried out by their own vet. 'Only through the concerted efforts of all livestock keepers will we continue to make progress towards the eradication of this disease in Northern Ireland,' Minister Muir added. The new BVD legislation, which came into force in February, introduced a number of BVD control measures in a phased manner. Initially targeting herds with positive animals, measures are now being ramped up from June 1, 2025 to introduce movement restrictions on herds with animals over 30-days-old that have not been tested for BVD. These measures will initially be applied if there are 20 or more untested animals in a herd, with the threshold for the application of restrictions being reduced over the next 12 months. BVD Under the BVD Eradication Scheme Order (NI) 2016, herd keepers are required to sample all calves within 20 days of birth as well as any bovines that enter a herd without a negative BVD status. Animals that test positive must be isolated to prevent direct or indirect contact with other susceptible animals. Movement restrictions will be applied to herds with animals of unknown status (BVDUs) that have not had a BVD test. These restrictions will be rolled out on a phased basis over a 12-month period as follows: From June 1, 2025 herd restrictions will be applied to any herd with 20 or more BVDU animals over 30-days-old; From December 1, 2025 herd restrictions will be applied to any herd with 10 or more BVDU animals over 30-days-old; From June 1, 2026 herd restrictions will be applied to any herd with five or more BVDU animals over 30-days-old. Keepers will be advised in advance if they will be subject to these restrictions and can avoid them if they ensure all animals within their herd have a valid BVD test result, according to DAERA. Herd restrictions will prohibit all moves into the herd, and all moves out except to direct slaughter or for disposal. Where BVDU herd restrictions are applied, the same restrictions will also be applied to associated herds, which are herds linked on NIFAIS due to common disease risks.
