The success of a scheme to tackle the spread of brucellosis on Munster farms will depend on a compensation package to be announced next week by the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh.
At a meeting of the Animal Health Forum, a body made up of the parties involved, interim measures announced earlier this week were discussed. Designed to encourage farmers to test animals before moving them, these measures have not found favour with farming organisations or veterinary surgeons
Both the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) and the Irish Veterinary Union (IVU) are disappointed with the proposals. The IVU wants a mandatory pre-movement test and the farmers want specific additional measures to eradicate the disease in blackspots.
Farmers also have a problem with the definition of the age of eligible animals under the scheme for reactor grant purposes. The IFA believes the eligible age should be 18 months, not 12.
There is unlikely to be any agreement on the issue until Mr Walsh reveals how much he intends to pay farmers for the animals which fail the brucellosis blood test and have to be destroyed.
Over 200 herds have been restricted in Cos Cork, Limerick, Kerry and Tipperary, and Ireland is in danger of losing its EU brucellosis-free status, a major advantage for exporters.