A scheme targeting the removal of of BVD infected animals in the North is now open for claims, according to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).
The scheme will be delivered in partnership between Animal Health and Welfare Northern Ireland (AHWNI) and the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC).
Claims are welcomed from Wednesday, February 8, and farmers who may have an eligible animal will receive a claim form from AHWNI which must be completed and sent back to LMC.
The rate of financial assistance which will be available is:
- £160 (€185) for a beef calf.
- £130 (€150) for a dairy heifer calf.
- £50 (€58) for a dairy male calf.
Under the scheme, payments will be limited to six animals per farm business, according to the department.
There is a number of criteria that herd keepers must ensure each animal meets in order to be eligible for payment.
Farmers will only receive compensation if the animals birth was recorded on the Animal and Public Health Information System (APHIS) and if it complied with the requirements of the BVD Eradication Scheme Order.
The animal must also test positive for the presence of the BVD virus as well as not having been moved from the farm on which it was born.
Payment will be held if the animals has not been humanely destroyed and if its death has not been recorded on APHIS.
Farmers will only receive compensation if the animal has been destroyed no later than four weeks from the date the keeper received notification of an initial test positive.
Or no later than six weeks from the date the keeper received notification of an initial test positive result when a re-test has been undertaken, according to the Department.
DAERA has reminded herd keepers that they are the ones responsible for ensuring the death of the animal is confirmed.
The Department added that herd keepers should not assume that the death will be recorded by the disposal agent or rendering plant.
