Chaos in marts as 'shambolic' TB rules implemented

IFA animal health chair David Hall said the associated information campaign was "inadequate" and "deeply confusing", leaving farmers and mart operators unclear on how to apply the rules in practice.

"Minister Heydon's TB Action Plan has now been implemented, but the way in which it has been communicated to stakeholders has been shambolic," he said.

An information leaflet issued to herd owners failed to clearly outline the new testing requirements, instead offering vague references to changes across different categories of animals, he added.

Subsequent guidance has compounded the issue, according to the IFA, particularly around the introduction of three herd categories.

"Farmers have been left in the dark as to whether they are in Category 1, 2 or 3. These labels are meaningless without clear explanations, and there has been no effort made to directly inform individual farmers of their status," Mr Hall said.

He warned the lack of clarity had created widespread uncertainty at mart level, with operators now required to enforce rules that had not been properly communicated.

Further confusion has arisen from inconsistencies in department guidance. A QR code in the leaflet directs farmers to the department's TB Hub, where frequently asked questions are said to contradict the published TB Action Plan.

"If the department cannot get its own information straight, how can it expect farmers or marts to interpret and implement these rules correctly?" Hall said, adding the situation could have been avoided with proper stakeholder engagement.

He called for a substantial lead-in period before enforcement, warning it would be unacceptable for farmers to face penalties under rules that remain unclear.

The reality is that the department was not ready to implement this plan. The minister and his officials must now act quickly to fix the problems of their own making and restore confidence.

ICMSA deputy president Eamon Carroll said the "utter confusion" went "far beyond normal 'teething problems'," and highlighted particular concern around the online compliance certificate used during cattle sales.

Farmers have raised issues with a warning linked to "H" animals, which states the animal was part of a 'high-risk' cohort. According to the ICMSA, this has led buyers to wrongly assume herds have TB issues and withdraw from sales.

"The department has confirmed that this wording is just a warning, and that genuinely high-risk animals are identified differently. In that case, why include a carelessly misleading designation at all?" Mr Carroll said.

He warned the system risks undermining cattle movements and called for the warning to be removed immediately.