Farmers who do not meet stringent anti-brucellosis controls in their cattle herds will be penalised under new compensation measures to be introduced on September 15th.
Announcing the revised terms yesterday, the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, said there would be a major widening of differentials between the categories of compensation. Where farmers fail either to maintain a closed-herd policy or to purchase stock under strict controls, "significantly reduced" rates of compensation would be paid in the event of brucellosis breakdowns.
The purchase controls include a requirement that cattle should come from "well-defined reliable sources" and have been blood-tested within 60 days before purchase and 30 days after purchase, on the new farm.
Cattle bought at special mart sales will have to be tested before movement and moved directly to the mart from the farms on which they are blood-tested and from the mart to the buyer's farm. Animals sold from farm to farm must also be transported in a single direct movement. Mr Walsh said the new structures were designed to complement attempts to tackle "the deteriorating brucellosis situation". The compensation arrangements would be reviewed again in October.