Cattle 1

MINISTER CREED MUST NOT ALLOW 30-DAY PRE-MOVEMENT TEST FOR TB

 

IFA Animal Health Chairman Pat Farrell has called on the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed and his officials to strongly reject the proposal to impose a 30-day pre-movement TB test on animals in the Delegated Acts under the New EU Animal Health Law.

The IFA Chairman said the imposition of this control on animal movements would impact severely on the normal trade for cattle and add enormous unnecessary costs to the TB programme.

Pat Farrell said farmers are already at breaking point with the restrictions imposed on them by the Department of Agriculture in the TB programme and the suggestion that this burden could be increased for all farmers is unacceptable.

The IFA Chairman said proposals in the latest draft of the Delegated Act requires all herds that are over six months since a TB test to have a 30-day pre-movement test in order to be eligible for movement.

This measure is not scientifically based, will not contribute to eradication of the disease and will add an enormous cost to the TB programme which farmers will not accept.

Pat Farrell said Minister Creed and his officials cannot under any circumstances allow this movement restriction to be adopted in the Delegated Act currently reaching conclusion in the Commission.