The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) has organised a meeting for Gort, Co. Galway tomorrow, November 8, to discuss TB eradication.
The meeting, co-organised with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, is part of a series of nine regional forums, and will focus on counties Galway and Clare.
Representatives from the department, various farm organisations and the veterinary profession will be at the conference, which will highlight the new drive to eradicate TB by 2030.
Speaking to AgriLand, Stephen Canavan, Galway representative on the IFA’s National Animal Health Committee, called the meeting a “unique opportunity for farmers”.
Canavan said that despite the “huge strides” that have been made in TB eradication, there are still some “serious black-spots” throughout the country, which is why this new programme is needed.
The meeting takes place at 8:00pm at the Lady Gregory Hotel in Gort – a choice of venue that wasn’t random.
The area saw an increase in instances of TB, not long after the construction of the motorway just outside the town.
It’s beyond contradiction that when wildlife is disturbed like that, an increase in TB will follow.
The aftermath of a TB breakdown will be a big topic for discussion, and Canavan hopes that the department representatives at the meeting can be made aware, not just of the mental pressure that comes from a breakdown, but also the financial pressure.
He claimed that the IFA was “finding it difficult” to engage with the department on these issues.