ICMSA welcome Bluetongue Vaccination as an option for 2026 Beef & Sheep Welfare Schemes – but want it extended to other schemes

The Chairperson of ICMSA’s Livestock Committee, Michael O’Connell, while welcoming the addition of Bluetongue Virus ( BTV) vaccination as an option in to the 2026 Beef and Sheep Welfare Schemes has stated that he believes there are more practical options that could be offered to livestock farmers that would encourage and help them to protect their herds against infection from Bluetongue.

“ICMSA wants farmers to be proactive over the next short while in anticipation of the breeding season to ensure they have minimised the chances of infection. We have to be; the effects of the virus as reported to us by colleagues in other Member States is seriously detrimental in terms of abortions, foetal abnormalities, ill thrift, loss of thrive and, in most severe cases, death”, said Mr. O’Connell.

The ICMSA Livestock Chairperson said that the immediate focus must be on encouraging and supporting farmers in terms of the purchase and utilising vaccines.

“There are options in other schemes such as SCEP directing farmers towards BTV vaccination in place of less practical requirements. Farmers who are members of the SCEP scheme must be part of the Bord Bia Sustainable Beef and Lamb Assurance Scheme but, in reality, this serves no purpose to the majority of these farmers who are selling weanlings. Put bluntly: customers in Italy aren’t worried whether our weanlings are Quality Assured or not. We believe the introduction of an option of vaccination to the scheme – as opposed to being a member of SBLAS – could potentially prove very useful in the long run. Our feeling would be that if we face issues regarding BTV cases, we will, as sure as night-follows-day, find issues with farmers meeting the criteria requirements in SCEP such as meeting the requirement of calving at least 50% of the yearly reference number”, said Mr. O’Coneell.

“This could be a ‘circular problem’: if we see issues regarding missed heats, abortions, late calving etc, there is going to be massive implications for farmers here as it will affect them meeting their yearly reference number calving requirement. The past number of weeks have been quite challenging from a trade point of view, and we don’t need animal health issues in the future hampering herd performance”, he continued.

Mr. O’Connell also called for the BTV vaccine option to be included in the Dairy beef weighing scheme.

“Our members are currently spending thousands on an annual basis on routine vaccines such as salmonella, lepto, rotavirus, IBR etc, the addition of an extra vaccination is another headache. The option should be included as an amendment to the Dairy Beef Weighing Scheme for farmers to select use of BTV vaccination for their breeding animals or the weighing of that scheme year’s calves. We need to be practical and proactive. We need to reward farmers for best practice and we need to encourage and assure the livelihood of our farmers by protecting their herds. The weighing component of the scheme is helpful from a performance point of view, but the €20/head payment would go a long way towards herd vaccination”, he concluded.

Ends      26 March 2026

Michael O’Connell, 086-8551015

Chairperson, ICMSA Livestock Committee

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Cathal MacCarthy, 087-6168758

ICMSA Press Office