'We are at the end point; we cannot allow slippage'

Patrick took the AHI CEO reins in July 2025 and came to the role with a solid pedigree of experience. Previously, he served as news editor with the Irish Farmers Journal, advisor to former agriculture minister, Charlie McConalogue and, latterly, chief corporate affairs officer at Lakeland Dairies. We discussed his latest role in the closing days of 2025 as AHI launched a new strategy to complete the eradication of bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) from the national herd.
He put the role of AHI into context: “Our remit is to bring farmers, vets, industry and government together with the aim of improving animal health and welfare. Healthy animals are the foundation of our €17bn agri-food export industry.
"A key aspect of the work since 2013 has been the identification of BVD in animals and the removal of those infected, so that we ultimately eradicate the virus from the national herd. The programme has involved taking a tissue sample from every newborn calf. It has been an enormously successful programme, reducing the number of animals with BVD from 11,000 breeding herds to 200 herds today. That’s a 97 per cent reduction since 2013, with the prevalence at individual animal level reduced to 0.2 per cent. We are at the end point now where the last cohort is the most difficult to eradicate.”

Learning from precedent

Patrick provided a comparison with a previous disease-eradication programme. “In 1990, we were down to nine herds in the country infected with brucellosis. We let it slip as we were on the cusp of total eradication, and it took several years to finally conclude the eradication process. Way back in 1964, then Minister for Agriculture, Charlie Haughey, sent a letter thanking everyone involved for eradicating TB. There were only 40 herds left infected at that stage. Similarly, with BVD, we are at the end point now. But we cannot allow slippage.”

Value of BVD eradication

The economic impact of eradicating BVD from the national herd is significant, Patrick explained: “Before the eradication programme was initiated, BVD infection was estimated to be costing livestock owners €102m every year. The annual saving to the economy, including farmers, is €184m. Farmers, alone, spend €10m in time, postage, tags and so on. We have an extra 70,000 calves alive and healthy because of the programme, so it has worked. The list of specific benefits is extensive, including healthier cattle, better fertility, milk yield and animal welfare. There are lower vet bills, less vaccine use, and reduced stress at calving. In blunt terms, the cost/benefit ratio is heavily skewed towards strong returns for farmers at, it should be said, a relatively low, though not unimportant cost.”

The final steps

When asked why the BVD programme is not yet complete, Patrick said: “Besides adopting best biosecurity practices, the prompt removal of positive animals is key to success. Ninety-seven per cent of herds are clear. There are a few instances of farmers retaining persistently infected (PI) calves. The incidence rate is low, but the retention rate needs to be reduced further. Herds with PI animals face movement restrictions with serious implications for trading and so on. So, there are big downsides for those herd owners with PIs from not acting in the best interest of all livestock owners as well as their own interests. We also have supports in place to financially assist in the tissue-tagging process. There is compensation for removal of infected calves. In fairness, most farmers are very conscious of BVD disease. "We may have reached an inertia period, where people think the disease is practically eliminated because incidence is so low. That’s a challenge for everyone involved. BVD is a serious disease, and we need to eliminate it completely to retain the health and financial benefits already achieved and ensure it doesn’t become widespread again.”
While reluctant to put a conclusion date on the long-running BVD eradication programme, Patrick did have this to say: “We are focussed on completion and the new steps announced will accelerate progress. These include, among others, pre-movement testing, tailored investigations, the promotion of good biosecurity practices, and improved communications with the herd owners and neighbouring herd owners.”

A full agenda

Patrick commented on other disease-control and eradication initiatives of critical importance: “We have several programmes in train, all with a science-based focus. There are top-class experts heading up each eradication programme, including BVD, IBR, Johne’s, as well as Calfcare, Hoof HealthCheck and others. In those programmes we have our vets leading technical groups of scientists who, in turn, bring forward the scientific and technical expertise needed to implement the programmes on the ground. AHI’s priorities include being commercially relevant and focussed on each programme to deliver results. There is funding from government and industry, and we must ensure that what we are doing is delivering for everyone involved.”
There is an understanding that there are potentially serious implications if timely progress is not made in reducing various disease threats, Patrick agreed: “There may be implications for calf exports if we do not adopt a comprehensive IBR control programme. Johne’s disease is a silent challenge to the health of our herds and must be fully addressed. I want programmes in place that will benefit farmers in terms of profitability and herd health. And I want farmers to be fully conscious of what they can and need to do to ensure their livestock is profitable and healthy. We have to be constantly aware of what our export markets require and will require in terms of the health status of our animals and our produce. Being constantly proactive in that regard and aiming to have the highest standards possible will ultimately protect our license to trade and sell livestock-derived produce across the world.”

Milk recording is essential

Patrick expressed extreme disappointment that so many dairy-herd owners still do not engage in milk recording: “There’s no simple solution. Mandatory recording has been introduced in one instance by a processor. It is an expense and there is an added workload involved. Are the recording and sampling technologies, and laboratory facilities available in all cases? There are legitimate questions, but the value and absolute need for regular recording cannot be doubted. Without recording, producers are shooting in the dark, without any information on cow health or performance. Milk recording is the key to unlocking every herd’s potential.”