The ICBF has received 126,200 BVD test results in the past week, as farmers rush to meet the March 1 deadline for receiving compensation for disposing PI animals.

The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) has received 126,200 Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) test results in the past week and more results continue to be processed, it says.

It is a requirement that all PI animals born in 2012, 2013 and 2014 are disposed of prior to March 1, 2015 in order to avail of supports introduced by the Minister for Agriculture for 2015.

And with the deadline approaching, the ICBF said it has received 407,600 results since January 1, of which 126,200 have been in the past seven days.

Since the beginning of the voluntary phase in 2012, 5.35m results have now been received, the ICBF said.

At the most recent BVD Implementation Group it was emphasised that the disposal of PI animals is critical to the success of the BVD Eradication Scheme.

The Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney, recently announced new payments of up to €140 for the disposal of persistently infected (PI) calves from beef herds.

In terms of beef breeds, €140 would be paid for each beef breed PI born in a suckler herd that is shown to be disposed of to a knackery within five weeks of the first test.

Calves removed to a knackery within seven weeks of the first test would be worth a payment of €90.

In terms of dairy breeds, a payment of €100 for each dairy breed PI heifer calf born in a dairy herd shown to be removed to a knackery within five weeks of the first test.

Dairy calves removed to a knackery within seven weeks of the first test would be worth a payment of €50.

The Minister said a small number of non-participating herds and another relatively small number of farms on which a number of PI animals are being retained as posing a significant risk to the timeline for a successful conclusion of the programme.