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'Real, measurable benefits for farmers and vets'

Animal Health Ireland’s (AHI) Beef HealthCheck (BHC) programme has delivered real, measurable benefits for farmers and vets in its 10-year existence, according to BHC programme manager and vet, Dr Natascha Meunier. AHI recently celebrated the programme’s tenth anniversary, marking a number of milestones:

Dr Natascha Meunier.

  • The BHC programme has assessed more than 7.7 million animals;
  • It has issued more than one million reports to 64,000 farmers across Ireland;
  • Now, it covers approximately 65 per cent of the national kill across 17 factories; and
  • In 2025 alone, almost 92,000 reports were issued covering 783,000 cattle from 22,100 herds.

Dr Meunier added: "Healthy animals are the bedrock of everything we do as an export-focused beef-producing country. At a time when production is contracting globally, the health advantage Ireland can demonstrate through programmes like this is not marginal, it is central to our ongoing success.” The programme is run in partnership with Meat Industry Ireland and meat factories nationwide.

Liver fluke: the case for tailored parasite control

Looking at recent liver fluke data, AHI pointed to why having a tailored parasite control plan is so important. Despite a weather-driven spike in liver fluke prevalence in 2024, the 2025 data show active infections down 29 per cent year-on-year. This, according to AHI, is a direct reflection of farmers acting on the intelligence the programme provides alongside the industry promoting effective liver fluke management. Notably, 11.2 per cent of herds sending 10 or more animals to slaughter over the past decade have shown no evidence of liver fluke. This reinforces the case for tailored parasite control and prudent anthelmintic use, AHI says.

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