The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) Animal Health and Welfare chair Hugh Farrell, has said that the TB strategy won’t succeed unless it is on the basis of mutual co-operation and fair play for all farmers.

Farrell said:

“The ICSA has engaged with the TB Forum from the start on the basis that we are all in this together.

A minority of farmers cannot be sacrificed and that’s why the ICSA is insisting on fair compensation in all cases. There are a wide range of representatives on the TB Forum but the key stakeholders are farmers and this must never be forgotten.

“While there is agreement on the need to eradicate TB, the ICSA continues to insist that the programme must be funded adequately and it will be up to the minister to step up to the plate on this,” he added.

“The ICSA believes that the setting up of implementation groups can help but we will not accept farmer representative exclusion from the groups.

“Farm organisations can bring expert insights to these and it will be vital that their deliberations are informed by practical and real understanding of the issues.

The ICSA is insisting that all reactors are removed within seven days and that the first herd test following a breakdown can take place 60 days after the reactor is discovered rather than removed because the farmer has no control over this.

“We will also be insisting that the issues with wildlife are dealt with in a comprehensive manner and it is not good enough to turn a blind eye to the role of deer,” he concluded.

New president elected for the ICSA

In other news from within the ICSA, Dermot Kelleher has been elected the new president of the ICSA, beating out Sean McNamara in the two-horse race.

The election of Kelleher follows weeks of online hustings. Due to Covid-19, the election process was changed to a postal ballot of ICSA National Executive members.

The result of the vote was announced at an online conference of the National Executive yesterday evening (Thursday, December 17).