A third livestock mart has confirmed it is to host sales of TB-restricted cattle bringing the total number of marts now committed to offering the service to three nationally.

Tullow Mart in Co. Carlow confirmed to Agriland that it plans to host "the first TB restricted online sale in the south-east" on Thursday, July 31.

Agriland understands a fourth mart in the west of the country is also finalising plans to host sales of this type.

Earlier this week GVM Carrigallen Mart in Co. Leitrim confirmed to Agriland that it plans to host its first sale of cattle from TB-restricted herds on Monday August, 11.

Kingscourt Mart in Co. Cavan is the only mart to date that has successfully ran these sales having successfully completed three online auctions of cattle from TB restricted herds to date.

These sales of cattle from herds that are restricted under the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s (DAFM’s) TB Eradication Scheme, take place without the cattle entering the mart.

Cattle remain on the farm of origin until after the sale has been approved. Only Controlled Finishing Unit (CFU) herds are eligible to bid in these sales.

Tullow Mart manager Eric Driver told Agriland he envisages that cattle will be sold on a price per head basis with a guide weight of the cattle pre-recorded by the mart before the sale.

The cattle in these sales are subject to district veterinary office (DVO) approval.

He emphasised that all sanitary protocols will be adhered to when entering and exiting the restricted farm and the cattle will be sold via online auction - remaining on their origin farm.

As part of Ireland’s Bovine TB Eradication Programme, if a beef finishing herd meets the necessary criteria, it is allowed to avail of a special status – known as a CFU.

A CFU herd is a specialised finisher of beef that does not deliberately engage in the active breeding of animals.

It is a non-breeding herd which disposes of all cattle on the holding direct for slaughter, and poses a minimal risk of infecting cattle on adjacent holdings.

To be considered eligible for CFU status, the holding must fulfill at least one of the following three criteria:

The cattle are permanently housed (never on pasture), or;
There are no contiguous holdings with cattle, or;
The boundaries are walled, double-fenced or equivalent, so as to prevent any direct contact with cattle on contiguous holdings;
When a herd meets the criteria to be regarded as a CFU under the Bovine TB Eradication Programme, the herd is restricted under the TB regulations and a special official supervisory and testing protocol is established;
Such herds are not exempt from testing, reactor removal, or disinfection requirements. Restricted CFU herds (feedlots) are TB tested at least once a year.

According to DAFM, the CFU status arrangement “allows the delivery of an effective level of disease risk management while controlling the risk of further disease spread in compliance with animal health legislation, and enabling business continuity in this particular type of enterprise through the inward movement of cattle”.

Cattle from CFU herds (feedlots) restricted under the TB Eradication Programme are only permitted to move to an EU-approved slaughter plant and may not be exported.