A laboratory in Co. Meath is urging farmers to use padded envelopes when sending their Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) samples for testing as many are being lost due to the envelopes being damaged.
This is an issue that is occurring daily, as a spokesperson for Oldcastle Laboratories told Agriland that “every day there are damaged envelopes coming in to us”.
Oldcastle Laboratories has been accredited by the Irish National Accreditation Board for BVD antigen testing since 2012.
It tests blood, ear tissue and milk samples for the National BVD Eradication Programme, with a turnaround time of one to three working days for results.
However, the problem of BVD tags being sent in non-padded envelopes is resulting in the samples being lost and damaged.
It has caused the staff at the laboratory to post photos of the damaged envelopes on Facebook, and if farmers phone Oldcastle Laboratories regarding their BVD sample results, they are often directed to check the social media account to see if their envelope is featured.
If this is the case, the farmer will then have to re-order the tags, and to re-tag the animals at their own expense, and send the samples again, but in a padded envelope.
Oldcastle Laboratories have asked farmers to “please ensure you use a sturdy padded envelope to send your samples to the laboratory as samples may be lost in post office sorting offices if the envelopes used are not adequate”.
It has also asked that farmers write their herd number on the back of the padded envelope.
Animal Health Ireland have instructed farmers to:
- Place samples in a sealable bag within a padded envelope;
- Write your name, address and herd number on the top left hand corner of the envelope;
- Include the text ‘Exempt Animal Specimen’ on the back of the envelope.
From February 1, 2024, the minimum fee for submitting tags through the postal system (even for one tag) to a laboratory in Ireland or Northern Ireland is €2.95.
This should be sufficient for up to ten samples, provided they are packed flat, rather than bulked up within the envelope.
For larger numbers, it is advisable to take your package to the post office to ensure the correct postage is paid.
An Post have advised that they will retain envelopes where the correct postage has not been paid.