Change To TB Regulations Good News For Donegal Cattle Farmers
The decision by the Department of Agriculture to change the TB testing regulations for cattle going to direct slaughter has been welcomed as good news for Donegal farmers by Donegal North East TD Niall Blaney. Under the new requirements, cattle will now be accepted by slaughter plants provided the herd has been tested in the previous 12 months and the animals were otherwise compliant. 28/04/2010Previously animals not tested within the previous 12 months would be returned to the farm of origin if presented for slaughter. These new rules will come into effect from 4th May.
“This should help farmers reduce the amount of testing they have to undertake and that will help them to reduce their costs,” said Deputy Blaney. “We all know that the risk of spreading TB is very low if the animals have been tested in the previous 12 months so there was no need to impose this extra regulation on our farmers.”
“In addition to the AIM and AHCS control systems, there are plenty of checks already in place to ensure that TB is not spread. I think this will help farmers and allow them to process their cattle in a more efficient manner, which is good news for farmers throughout Donegal and good news for Irish consumers,” Deputy Blaney concluded.
