Scheme targeting removal of BVD infected animals announced
Agriculture Minister Michelle McIlveen has announced that a scheme aimed at the removal of animals infected by BVD will come into operation within weeks.
On 30th November 2016, the Minister announced a £4 million package of support for local livestock farmers provided under EU Exceptional Adjustment Aid (EAA).
The Minister said, “The EAA package includes a scheme to incentivise the humane removal of BVD infected animals, as well as schemes to improve pig meat quality, manage soils and nutrients more effectively, and receive training in business planning and risk management.
“The required regulations were made and laid in the Assembly on 16th January 2017 and will come into operation on 1st February 2017. My Department plans to open the BVD incentivisation scheme as soon as possible after that date.”
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To be eligible for payment herd keepers must ensure that each animal meets the following criteria, that is that it had:
• notification of its birth recorded on APHIS, in accordance with Regulation 6 of the Cattle Identification (notification of Birth, Deaths and Movements) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999;
• fully complied with the requirements of the BVD Eradication Scheme Order;
• tested positive for the presence of BVD virus;
• not been moved from the farm on which it was born;
• been humanely destroyed; and
• its death confirmed on APHIS within four weeks of receiving a positive BVD test result. An additional 2 weeks will be allowed where an applicant elects for repeat analysis of an initial positive result.
The rate of financial assistance which will be available is £160 for a beef calf; £130 for a dairy heifer calf; £50 for a dairy male calf.
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