FERMANAGH livestock farmers have been advised that herd restrictions have come into force to prevent the spread of Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD).
Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir announced the restrictions last week, which have been introduced on June 1 for animals over 30 days old that haven’t been tested for BVD.
“BVD is a serious and highly contagious endemic disease of cattle, which significantly compromises animal health,” said Minister Muir.
“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.”
Minister Muir added, “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.
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.”
The new BVD legislation, which came into force on February 1, introduced a number of BVD control measures in a phased manner. Initially targeting herds with positive animals, measures are now being ramped up from 1 June 1 to introduce movement restrictions on herds with animals over 30 days old that haven’t 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.
Further details of BVD measures, how and when they will be applied and how to avoid herd restrictions is available on the DAERA website, www.daera-ni.gov.uk