Delivery of registration tags for calves and returning of BVD samples to laboratories has been affected by recent delays in An Post.

Lab analysist Pawel Nieniewski from Agridiagnostics in Kerry said that there has been a “huge delay” in receiving BVD samples since the end of December.

“Several farmers posted samples before Christmas and some of them still have to come and this is becoming a more of a common issue,” he said.

Nieniewski also reccommended that samples reach the lab one to two weeks after being taken.

Mullinahone Co-op and Cormac Tagging said that they had noticed delays of a couple of days with tags reaching farmers.

A spokesperson from Datamars Agri said that the week between Christmas and the new year was particularly slow.

Like many businesses, An Post has been affected by staff shortages due to COVID-19.

“An Post is dealing with the impact of COVID-19 related absence, though our attendance is much improved this week as people return from leave and the number of people designated as close contacts has fallen, it was a big issue immediately after Christmas and last week,” Anna McHugh from An Post said.