From July, only animals over six years of age will be compulsorily tested for the disease.
The move from the current 48-month limit will mean savings of €1.7m per year for farmers who were paying an average of €20 per test.
The limit had already been increased from 30 months in the last two years. It comes on the back of news that only one animal tested positive for BSE here last year. At its peak in 2002, more than 300 animals were testing positive for the disease.
Ireland was one of 22 EU countries granted the concession in the age limit for testing. The IFA are now pushing for the limit to be increased again to exclude all animals born after the meat and bone-meal restrictions were put in place in 1997. The IFA estimate that this would remove another 240,000 cattle from the testing regime, saving farmers another €4.8m in the process.
To read the full aticle please visit the Irish Independant website here.
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