Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon has announced the launch of the Biosecurity Targeted Advisory Service for Animal Health (TASAH).

The aim of the service is to support farmers to assess and implement biosecurity measures on their farms, according to the minister.

This Rural Development Programme (RDP)-funded biosecurity service is designed to provide a targeted advisory service for animal health to support farmers in their response to animal health challenges identified on their farms.

The free TASAH programme will be administered by Animal Health Ireland (AHI).

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine said that practicing good biosecurity on farm is key to protecting and improving animal health, welfare and improving productivity - as well as protecting public health - through reduced antimicrobial and antiparasitic medicine usage on farms.

The Biosecurity TASAH, which will receive €8.2 million in funding, provides for a farm visit and veterinary consultation free of charge for the farmer, to delivery advise on biosecurity measures and recommendations.

The programme will provide such advice and recommendations on bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD), Johne’s Disease, and infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR).

It will also evaluate biosecurity in dairy farms using Bioscore Dairy, Cellcheck and Dry Cow consults for dairy herds; TB biosecurity; biosecurity in the pig and poultry sector, including salmonella control in pig holdings; and parasite control strategies for sheep, dairy, beef, and suckler farms, as well as equine holdings.

Since 2018, AHI has implemented a generic TASAH, providing training to private veterinary practitioners (PVPs) to enable them to deliver on-farm animal health and welfare advisory services aimed at contributing to "the sustainability of agricultural business and the control of antimicrobial and anthelmintic resistance, welfare and new and emerging pathogens".

Minister Heydon commented: “I am delighted to announce...additional funding of €8.2 million to support the Biosecurity TASAH 2025.

"This will allow the completion of 30,000 biosecurity assessments on Irish farms and will facilitate parasitic control programmes on cattle and sheep farms as well as equine holdings.

He added: “The contribution of this programme and the engagement by both private veterinary practitioners and farmers is a key driver in improving the productivity and ultimately, profitability, of Irish farms through focusing on animal health at farm level.

Farmers can register online for the programme from today (Friday, April 4) through the AHI website.

The programme will end on October 31, 2025.