The Department of Agriculture expects TB reactor numbers to hit 40,000 this year and the Department’s wildlife programme is to lose eight staff, the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) has said.
IFA animal health chair TJ Maher reacted furiously to the updates which were provided on Tuesday morning to the TB implementation group by the Department.
“We are going to lose up to 10,000 more productive animals from our farms this year, with reactor numbers predicted to hit 40,000,” Maher said.
“Over 700 more farmers to date or 5.5% of herds have had their farms restricted, while, in the same period, the wildlife control programme has only dealt with an extra 200 badgers,” he said.
Maher said compounding the situation is the Department of Agriculture announcement that the wildlife control programme is losing eight full-time staff as a result of the Government HR moratorium.
He said that there were no figures available for the broader impact of this moratorium on the staff resources across the veterinary and technical officer levels in the TB programme.
Critical areas
“These are critical areas in investigating and resolving TB breakdowns and ensuring timely removal of reactors, which are vital if we are to get TB numbers under control,” he said.
He called on the Minister for Agriculture and his Government colleagues to outline their position on TB eradication.
“Are they really serious about eradicating the disease or are they just content with paying lip service to the problem? Reducing key resources in the programme will leave farmers to endure the trauma and financial impact of TB breakdowns,” the farm organisation said.
Maher said actions from the Minister and his Government colleagues is what farmers need to see.
“We must have a fully-resourced wildlife control programme based on density reduction with full veterinary and technical officer staff complements to investigate TB breakdowns and ensure the timely removal of TB reactors,” he said.
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The Department of Agriculture expects TB reactor numbers to hit 40,000 this year and the Department’s wildlife programme is to lose eight staff, the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) has said.
IFA animal health chair TJ Maher reacted furiously to the updates which were provided on Tuesday morning to the TB implementation group by the Department.
“We are going to lose up to 10,000 more productive animals from our farms this year, with reactor numbers predicted to hit 40,000,” Maher said.
“Over 700 more farmers to date or 5.5% of herds have had their farms restricted, while, in the same period, the wildlife control programme has only dealt with an extra 200 badgers,” he said.
Maher said compounding the situation is the Department of Agriculture announcement that the wildlife control programme is losing eight full-time staff as a result of the Government HR moratorium.
He said that there were no figures available for the broader impact of this moratorium on the staff resources across the veterinary and technical officer levels in the TB programme.
Critical areas
“These are critical areas in investigating and resolving TB breakdowns and ensuring timely removal of reactors, which are vital if we are to get TB numbers under control,” he said.
He called on the Minister for Agriculture and his Government colleagues to outline their position on TB eradication.
“Are they really serious about eradicating the disease or are they just content with paying lip service to the problem? Reducing key resources in the programme will leave farmers to endure the trauma and financial impact of TB breakdowns,” the farm organisation said.
Maher said actions from the Minister and his Government colleagues is what farmers need to see.
“We must have a fully-resourced wildlife control programme based on density reduction with full veterinary and technical officer staff complements to investigate TB breakdowns and ensure the timely removal of TB reactors,” he said.
Read more
Owens: evidence and science must be used to stop TB
How drugs and TB changed Irish veterinary medicine
New research uncovers link between rainfall and TB in the Burren
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