Bovine TB test date warning ahead of data system switchover

Cattle farmers in Northern Ireland have been warned not to miss TB test dates during a switchover to a new information and data collection system this summer.

The Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) has announced TB testing will be restricted to reactor herds during this three-week period, to allow veterinary officials time for the switch.

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The restriction period will begin on 29 May as the existing Animal and Public Health Information System (Aphis) is wound up. The new Northern Ireland Food Animal Information System (Nifais) will then launch part-way through the hiatus on Monday 12 June.

Daera officials urged farmers with compulsory TB tests booked during the period to contact their vet.

It is important to arrange an alternative test date to avoid going overdue, a Daera spokesman said.

All tests can be carried out 30 days in advance of their due date and it may be possible to arrange some non-reactor tests earlier than this, the spokesman said.

Daera has already moved dates for many lateral check tests to minimise the number of herds requiring testing in this period. 

The testing restriction period will be taken into account in any assessments for cross-compliance breaches. But it remains the herdkeeper’s responsibility to comply with TB testing requirements, the spokesman pointed out.

The TB testing restrictions will operate as follows:

• Week 1 (from 29 May 2023) – only reactor herd tests will be carried out on the Monday and results read on the Thursday
• Week 2 (from 5 June 2023) – no testing
• Week 3 (from 12 June 2023) – no TB testing on Monday. Only reactor herd testing from Tuesday-Saturday.