The most recent statistics available from both parts of this island indicate that the level of Brucellosis in our cattle herds is falling.
This is excellent news and indicates that the decision to introduce pre-movement testing for all breeding stock just over a year ago is starting to have the desired effect.
Brucellosis, however, only represents the tip of the iceberg that is fast bearing down on the 'good ship' that is Northern Ireland agriculture. There's little doubt that the province's once proud animal health status has been slightly tarnished in th
e decade or so since free movement of livestock was allowed within the EU. And Brucellosis is a case in point. Twenty years ago we thought we had eradicated the disease and now it is back with a vengeance.
Another example of the animal health challenge facing the province's livestock sector is that of Aujeszky's disease. Currently England, Scotland and Wales are free of the problem and the indications are that the Republic of Ireland will soon have attained comparable status. Here in Northern Ireland, however, the condition still remains a challenge within some herds. As a result, the trade implications for the local pig industry could be extremely significant.
In July 2002 the European Commission placed tighter controls on the export of pigs to Member States which have eradicated Aujeszky's Disease or have ongoing programmes of eradication. Locally, we do not yet meet these criteria and unless we get our act together the pig industry will suffer accordingly!
The Aujeszky's issue reflects both the animal welfare and economic dimensions associated with any livestock disease problem. One of the few positives that came out of the 2001 Foot and Mouth debacle was the clear demonstration that a Fortress Northern Ireland/Ireland approach does work when it comes to keeping disease at bay.
Current EU rules only allow such steps to be taken in exceptional circumstances. However, there is nothing to stop individual herd or flock owners taking this approach when it comes to protecting the animal health status of their own individual farms!
Another issue with a strong animal health bearing is that of the ongoing Scrapie eradication campaign within the sheep sector. This is a UK-wide project, made possible by the identification of the genes responsible for the condition. And while a pedigree ram slaughter policy, now underway, will succeed in eliminating the disease, steps are also being taken to build up a semen archive from the affected sires so as to ensure that the beneficial productive traits they can offer the sheep sector in the future are not lost forever.
So much for the good news: the downside has been the poor uptake of the scheme to date here in Northern Ireland. Surely this is an issue which the local pedigree sheep sector should be addressing as a matter of some priority!
RICHARD HALLORAN
