A Department of Agriculture project to eradicate bovine TB establishes Kerry as a special disease zone.
Bovine Tuberculosis (TB) is a highly infectious disease of cattle and can be difficult to eradicate. At present Ireland is at the bottom of the league in terms of numbers of animals with this disease and the Department of Agriculture has not been provided with adequate resources to fight it.
This is all due to change, as County Kerry has been designated a special bovine TB testing zone. The movement of cattle into and out of the county will be strictly monitored.
An intensified testing programme in line with EEC (European Economic Community) standards will identify animals infected with TB and remove them from the zone. The aim is to lower the incidence of the disease.
Liam Stack welcomes the scheme, which requires minimal effort on behalf of the farmer,
Get TB under control and get it down to EEC standards make our cattle a lot more valuable for export.
Gerry Collen from the Department of Agriculture maintains that this approach will work,
The effort is showing results everywhere where it really is being done.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 15 July 1983. The reporter is Michael Lally.
