The National Sheep Association (NSA) Northern Ireland Region is calling for clear and timely communication from government on updates and control zones relating to this weekend’s suspected case of bluetongue virus (BTV).
It is vital that Northern Irish sheep farmers can stay up to date on latest updates and control zones relating to a suspected case of bluetongue in the Bangor area, said NSA NI.
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs’ (DAERA) is yet to confirm the suspected cases after inspecting cattle over the weekend and put a temporary control zone (TCZ) in place as a precautionary measure.
DAERA must uphold its responsibility in keeping sheep keepers advised as to the latest disease requirements, to minimise disruption whether the disease is confirmed or not.
Ellen Moorehead, NSA Northern Ireland Region coordinator, stressed that the sheep sector is not covered by the same alert system on the national database as the cattle industry.
“Farmers with cattle are being given alerts through the Northern Ireland Food Animal Information System (NIFAIS) traceability system, but this functionality does not exist for sheep, so sheep-only farmers will not receive DAERA updates through this route,” says Ms Moorehead.
“This means good communication channels are vital to keep the industry informed and contain the virus, should the suspected cases be confirmed.
“Many sheep farmers are very concerned about what the disruption to trade will mean for the in-lamb sales. Fortunately, some breeding stock sales have already passed, but there are in-lamb sales happening already in Northern Ireland which may be jeopardised for those within control zones if vets confirm bluetongue virus.”
NSA NI urges farmers to consider vaccinating their flock.
NSA chief executive Phil Stocker said: “Vaccination is the best way we have at present for minimising the potentially devastating effects on our flocks and we would encourage all farmers to discuss vaccinating with their vets.”
