11 Jun 2013, 18:37
The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine this afternoon engaged Animal Health Ireland (AHI) on its work in curbing diseases in Irish herds.
11 June 2013
The Committee were told of the AHI’s four priority programmes which related to national BVD and IBR eradication, Somatic Cell Count reduction and Johne's disease control.
AHI is an industry-led, not-for-profit partnership between livestock producers, processors, animal health advisers and government.
Chairman of the Committee Andrew Doyle TD says: “This afternoon’s exchanges with AHI representatives reinforced the view that animal health and welfare were fundamental to farm profitability. Indeed, the AHI estimated that BVD alone was costing Irish farming up to €102 million per year. With herd population set to increase in the coming years to meet the Food Harvest 2020 targets, the Committee notes that a window of opportunity now exists to curb diseases in Irish herds, which would reap major long term benefits for the €10 billion agri-food industry. This is particularly pertinent given the moves afoot at European level to minimise the use of anti-biotics in the food chain.
“The Committee were told that among the challenges facing AHI is in assembling comprehensive and reliable data for each of its four work areas. We heard that the AHI is placing particular emphasis on encouraging best practice on farms to eliminate the spread of diseases. We also take on board AHI’s innovative model, which taps into the knowledge of a range of specialists nationwide on a pro-bono basis and acknowledge the imperative to protect this delicate funding model.”
Ends
For further information contact:
Paul Hand,
Communications Unit,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 4484
M: +353 87 6949926
paul.hand@oireachtas.ie
Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine - Membership
Deputies:
Tom Barry, Fine Gael
Pat Deering, Fine Gael (Vice-Chair)
Martin Ferris, Sinn Féin
Andrew Doyle, Fine Gael (Chair)
Martin Heydon, Fine Gael
Colm Keaveney, Independent
Michael McNamara, Labour
Eamon Ó Cuiv, Fianna Fáil
Thomas Pringle, Independent
Senators:
Michael Comiskey, Fine Gael
Paschal Mooney, Fianna Fáil
Pat O’Neill, Fine Gael
Mary Ann O’Brien, Independent
Brian Ó Domhnaill, Fianna Fáil
Susan O’Keeffe, Labour