Increase in BVD Compensation Needs to Go Further

IFA Animal Health Chair David Hall has called for further action following the Minister for Agriculture’s recent increase in compensation for BVD PI calves (Persistently Infected).

The new rates of €320 for a calf from a suckler-breed dam and €200 for a calf from a dairy-breed dam are a recognition that previous compensation levels were too low.

“While this increase is a step in the right direction, the rates remain far below market value for calves. Farmers continue to bear a significant financial loss when removing PI animals.”

In 2025, 561 PI animals were removed from farms, placing a large burden on affected farms. Increasing compensation to levels closer to the open market value would not cost the Exchequer a significant amount but would make a massive difference to the farmers impacted. Identifying a PI animal brings additional work and stress, including extra testing and the retention of calves that would otherwise have been sold. This adds to the workload of farm families during the busiest time of the year.

“Farmers have made a major financial commitment to the BVD eradication programme since its introduction in 2013. We have removed PI animals for values well below the open market. We as farmers, have done our part to drive this programme forward,” the Animal Health Chair said.

David Hall acknowledged the wider benefits of the programme, including reduced antibiotic use, improved animal performance, and younger ages of slaughter, all of which support national policy objectives. However, he warned that the programme is now stagnating at low levels of infection.

“Maintaining farmer trust in the BVD programme is essential to achieving disease freedom and supporting current and future disease control initiatives. Suckler and dairy farmers cannot be left to continually carry the financial burden while the benefits of eradication extend far beyond the farm gate.”