Farmer convicted at Armagh Court
Date published:
Gerry McArdle (57) of Rathcumber Road, Derrynoose, Armagh was convicted at Armagh Court on 4 March 2024 of two charges of failure to isolate an animal with Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD).
Mr McArdle pleaded guilty and fined £300 plus £15 offender levy.
The case arose, following Mr McArdle’s failure on two separate occasions, to isolate an animal that had tested positive for Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD). The offences were detected during inspections conducted on 11 November 2022 and 5 December 2022.
Notes to editors:
- Mr McArdle was convicted of two charges of, being the keeper of a bovine and having been in receipt of a positive test for that bovine from an approved laboratory, failed to ensure that the bovine was isolated within housing, to prevent direct or indirect contact with other susceptible animals, in contravention of Article 2 and part 9 of the schedule of the Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Eradication Scheme Order (Northern Ireland) 2016, contrary to Article 52(1)(a) of the Disease of Animals (Northern Ireland) Order 1981.
- BVD (Bovine Viral Diarrhoea) is a highly contagious viral infection of cattle which causes a range of clinical problems. Most infected animals do not survive to a productive age. An industry-led scheme to eradicate BVD from Northern Ireland has been supported by legislation since 2016. Herd keepers are required to tag and test all newborn calves and the movement of positive animals between herds is prohibited. Any animals that test positive (or inconclusive) must be isolated from the rest of the herd in separate housing from other cattle. Herd level prevalence has fallen by 75% since the start of compulsory testing.
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