Farmers are being urged to attend a meeting regarding bovine TB in Cootehill, Co. Cavan, at 8:00pm tonight (Tuesday, September 25).
The meeting is set to take place in the Errigal Country House Hotel.
Speakers at the meeting will include representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine as well as the chairman of the Irish Farmers’ Association’s (IFA’s) National Animal Health Committee, Pat Farrell.
Farmers are being urged to attend the meeting in order to voice their concerns at the increasing rates of bovine TB in counties located in the border region.
TB Stakeholder Forum
Earlier this month, the first meeting of the TB Stakeholder Forum took place.
The forum is made up of representatives from: the department; the farm organisations; the veterinary profession; the agri-food industry; and the farming and research communities.
Reflecting on the first meeting of the forum, Minister Creed said: “Thanks to the efforts of all stakeholders, bovine TB levels have reduced significantly in recent years. While herd incidence stood at 8% in 2000, it was under 3.5% in 2017. This represents considerable progress.
In the absence of a robust TB eradication programme, many more farmers would have suffered a TB breakdown and the associated significant mental and financial stress.
“While much progress has been made in reducing bovine TB levels, I believe greater efforts are required to achieve eradication by 2030,” he said.