Overhaul of TB measures proposed

An extensive list of proposals to overhaul Ireland’s TB eradication measures has been presented by Department of Agriculture officials to members of the TB Forum.

Among the proposals are a suite of measures aimed at tackling residual infection in herds, reducing movement of animals between herds and cuts to the compensation available to farmers.

While the proposals includesa plan to “review the overall effectiveness of the current wildlife policy to enhance overall efficiency”, the vast majority of the proposals are focused on herd and individual animal controls.

The Department of Agriculture has not publicly published its proposals, nor provided them to the farm organisation, outside of last Thursday’s slideshow presentation by chief vet June Fanning and others.

There were no costings or timelines provided to the members of the TB Forum in relation to the proposals.

Here, Aidan Brennan and Darren Carty analyse the potential implications of some of the proposed changes for farmers, if they were adopted.

Compensation

For relapse herds, no compensation for the retention or purchase of high-risk animals

It is not yet known what exactly the Department of Agriculture defines as a relapse herd, but if we take it as being a herd that was clear of TB and relapsed within a timeframe of one to two years, this proposal is designed to encourage farmers to cull what the Department deems high-risk animals. This position is echoed through many of the proposals.

The proposed change could have huge implications for farmers, depending on the timeframes involved in defining what a relapse herd is, and what constitutes the retention of a high-risk animal.

Relapse herds ineligible for reactor grants for animals exposed to the first breakdown but not culled within three years

Again, the implications of this will depend on the timeframe that will define what a relapse herd is, and what constitutes the retention of a high-risk animal.

Relapse herds ineligible for reactor grants on cows greater than their fifth lactation

The Department is encouraging farms with a TB breakdown to cull remaining animals within a three-year cycle, or take the risk of forgoing compensation. Some dairy herds will be close to this, with the average herd lactation at less than four years, but it goes against a farm economic and greenhouse gas emissions target of increasing cow longevity.

Like the previous measures, a lot will depend on how a relapse herd and retention of a high-risk animal are defined.

Incorporate TB resistance into the compensation scheme and remove EBI

This would be a departure from compensating farmers for the real value of the animal. The EBI was used to determine the market value of an animal, based on how productive the animal was and its expected profitability. In contrast, the TB resistance score is just a single health trait, with no correlation to productivity or profitability.

Baseline compensation to be based on good biosecurity practices

There is a lot to unpack in this. What constitutes good biosecurity? More information is required on what the Department defines as good biosecurity practices. In theory, incentivising good practice is a positive move but it would greatly depend on how high the bar is set, and whether farmers can practically implement it.

Marts and trading

Mandatory disclosure of TB herd risk category at point of sale for all sales

This is likely to be one of the most contentious proposals by the Department. Herds which are free of TB will want access to this information. However, herds which have had TB recently would see the information devaluing their stock, reducing the number of potential customers, and are totally against it. This will be one of the hardest proposals to get agreement on.

Encourage herd owners to purchase cattle of an equivalent or superior TB herd categorisation status to that of their herds

In theory, this proposal holds a lot of merit but it would depend on getting agreement on mandatory disclosure of TB herd risk categorisation. If the Department made TB herd category information available to farmers in real time, then farmers with a positive herd categoriy could use it as a marketing tool in the marketplace.

Relapse herds prohibited from selling breeding stock on the open market until all the infected cohorts are culled

This proposal is based on the premise that there may be animals in a herd acting as a disease reservoir that do not test positive and, as such, cohorts of infected animals are seen as a high-risk.

This will affect dairy farmers who have had TB from selling cull cows or selling replacement heifers.

It means that herds normally selling surplus animals could be prevented from doing so for a number of years. This restriction on selling would make more sense where there has been a major TB breakdown.

Prevent the sale of high-risk cows from high-risk herds for a period of three years after derestriction

This would mean that the only outlet for cull cows or even high-EBI surplus replacement heifers from high-risk herds would be the meat factory.

Facilitate sale of TB test negative cull cows from TB restricted herds through special cull cow sales in marts (sales to be limited to purchasing CFUs only)

This proposal would need to be broadened from its current form to include cows purchased for direct slaughter. At present, a high number of cows traded are destined for direct slaughter but this proposal would limit the recycling of cows back into breeding herds, which is seen as a high risk factor for spreading TB.

It is not clear whether these cows could return home unsold from the mart sale, or if the farmers would be forced into becoming price takers.

Movements

Animals will only be allowed to move twice between herds following a clear skin test

At first glance, this could have a major impact on animals moving to and from livestock shows, but this may not be the intent. Clarity will be needed on whether this refers only to herd-to-herd movements or all physical movements.

Facilitate movement of unweaned dairy calves from restricted to clear calf-to-beef herds

This will be a major change for dairy herds locked up with TB. Being able to move calves off the farm will be a welcome change. It is likely aimed at bringing about a further reduction in the number of young calves slaughtered.

Under the Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme, farmers are not allowed to slaughter calves but there is a force majeure exception for herds restricted with TB. This proposed change provides an alternative outlet for such calves. It is unclear how attractive calves from TB restricted herds will be to calf-to-beef herds but research shows a lower risk of TB with young calves.

Farmers encouraged to have single-herd to single-herd contract rearing arrangements. Pre-movement test required if calves from more than one herd are reared

This is aimed at reducing the risk of TB being spread during the contract-rearing process by ensuring all animals test negative before mixing.

While there is merit in theory, it would make destination herds contacting rearing animals from a number of sources less attractive as a contract rearing option for the dairy farmer. Provision should be made for contract rearers who can prove that heifers from separate herds remain on different land blocks.

Pre-movement test required for all cattle returning from contract rearing

This is probably a sensible approach but it poses the question, what would happen to reactors? Contract rearers don’t usually have facilities to hold animals to calve down and milk them.

Remove 30-day post-movement test option under Animal Health Law (AHL) implementation

This would mean that cows and male cattle over 36 months moving farm-to-farm or through a mart must be TB tested within the last six months. Currently, if this is not the case, there is a 30-day window for the herd receiving such animals to test them.

Testing

Relapse herds (herds with a breakdown with cohorts of previous reactor animals present at a previous breakdown) require testing at six-monthly periods for a period of five years

This extra testing would be a substantial additional burden on farmers, both in terms of potential cost and additional labour. It is not clear whether the Department of Agriculture would pay for the additional tests.

Maximise the quality of private veterinary practice (PVP) testing and promote high-quality testing

The Department has been keen in recent years to identify inadequate testing. In 2023, two vets were censured by the Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI) following proven cases of professional misconduct in relation to TB testing.

High-quality testing is paramount to the control of TB.