Leitrim County Councillors are to call on the Minister of Agriculture to abandon plans to introduce mandatory TB testing on cattle herds every 6 months.
The September meeting of Leitrim County Council heard the requirement would put local farmers under further pressure.
The motion to call on the Minister was brought by Ballinamore Councillor Gerry Dolan, who highlighted concerns of the effects testing could have on pregnant cattle late in the season.
According to Councillor Dolan, farmers are already seeing increases in the costs of power, transport and production.
The Ballinamore area representative says current TB regulations and controls are already working perfectly:
"I think it is ridiculous to make it to have two tests in the year on a certain amount of cattle and it creates an awful financial burden on people and hardship and with pregnant cows to be forced into crushes to be tested at the wrong time and abortion of cows causing extra hardship on farmers by losing calves. I think this should be withdrawn and let the Department do the good job they are doing and the Minister should withdraw this."
