Pat Farrell said the move by the Department of Agriculture to remove animals that were previously inconclusive in TB breakdowns, and to deem tests where four or more animals test inconclusive as reactors, is a significant change to the programme that severely impacts on farmers.
The IFA Animal Health Chairman said the Department had yet again shown that they have no difficulty in increasing the cost burden on farmers while refusing to address the enormous shortcomings in the compensation schemes.
Pat Farrell said this latest move by the Department of Agriculture is particularly disappointing given the enormous efforts made by farmers throughout the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure the TB programme continued.
He says the Department needs to engage because farmers have numerous hidden costs:
