At the invitation of the government veterinary departments of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland a contingent of the vets and farmers involved with the Pembrokeshire project (PP) went over to the northwest of the island.
The team met with both departments, farmers, the Ulster farming union and private vets at a variety of events.
Cooperation is the essence of Iechyd da and the PP, and lies at the heart of the new regionalised approach to bovine TB in Ireland. Adjoining areas, east and west of the river Foyle, will have an increased program of multi faceted interventions. These are part of the shared island initiative.
Michael, Roger, Rhiannon and Brendan addressed a public audience in two venues on either side of the border. For those of you who have heard this presentation before you will know the passion of their talk.
Michael and Roger shared their experiences on their farms and the history of the PP. They highlighted how the Riskrate tool identified indicators of latent or residual bTB infection and how they are trying to manage these animals out responsibly. They then showed how the Herdsafe biosecurity app identified ways of stopping new infection challenging their herds. The vets highlighted how safe, accurate and careful testing provides more than a yes/no answer, and the importance of recording and reporting all the data.
But also importantly how a mindset change has affected their outlook, in that now they feel more empowered to deal with the headache that is bTB.
A problem shared can be a problem halved, but a solution shared is a solution doubled.
These presentations were even further strengthened by the concluding statements delivered by Abi Reader, dairy farmer and NFU Cymru president, these added weight and relevance through the sharing of her own bTB journey.
Both audiences were energised by the talks and it stimulated many an interesting conversation afterwards.
In between these two evening events, we were hosted by a farmer and vet team of Derek and Keith. There was an on farm demonstration of the Herdsafe app, under the guidance of Paul, Ifan and Rhiannon. This not only showed off the functionality of Herdsafe but also the importance of the farm walk and the discussion that ensues.
There was also a sharing of experiences between both departments and the PP on the second afternoon.
A meeting was also held at the offices of the Ulster Farmers Union, where we had a good reception. The presence of the three Welsh farmers was crucial in getting across the purpose of the project and our presence in Ireland.
Bovine Tb is a formidable foe and if we are to defeat it we need collaborative and innovative thinking from farmers, unions, researchers, wildlife groups, vets and government departments. We wish our colleagues in Ireland all the best in their efforts. Fortunately, innovation and collaboration are two things that the Pembrokeshire Project excels in
