Muir issues reminder about the introduction of Bovine Viral Diarrhoea herd restrictions

Minister Muir said: “BVD is a serious and highly contagious disease of cattle, which affects their productivity and compromises their welfare. Before Christmas I announced the introduction of new measures that will contribute to the eradication of this disease in Northern Ireland.

“These measures are being introduced in a phased manner, starting on 1 February 2025. While it is expected that initially, only a small number of herd keepers will be affected, no herds should be restricted because of a positive animal within the first year, if keepers act quickly within the allowed ‘grace periods’.”

For three months from 1 February 2025, herd keepers will be allowed a 28-day ‘grace period’, where they can avoid restrictions if all BVD positive or inconclusive animals are culled, or re-tested with a negative result, before the end of this ‘grace period’. This ‘grace period’ will be reduced to seven days from 1 May 2025 and removed completely on 1 February 2026, after which restrictions will be applied immediately after a BVD positive or inconclusive result is detected in the herd.

Minister Muir added: “Further measures will be introduced in the next few months which will also target herds containing animals over a month old that haven’t been tested for BVD.

“I would therefore encourage herd keepers to plan ahead to avoid these restrictions by ensuring all their animals are promptly tested for BVD. Testing all unknown status animals now will be much easier while animals are housed for winter.”

From 1 June 2025, movement restrictions will be applied to herds with animals of unknown BVD status. This will be introduced in 3 stages, with the threshold number of unknown status animals reducing over a 16-month period.

Keepers who are compliant with the testing requirements of existing legislation will not be impacted.

Minister Muir concluded: “The BVD measures which I recently announced are essential to control this disease which, as well as affecting animal welfare is a significant financial burden on industry.

“Only through the support of the wider industry by all herd keepers acting quickly and complying with legal requirements will we make faster progress towards the eradication of this disease.”

Further details of the measures, how and when they will be applied and how to avoid them is available on the DAERA website at: www.daera-ni.gov.uk/publications/bvd-herd-restrictions