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17/08/07
Intense collaboration between industry organisations and Defra
specialists has already established a timetable covering a planned
exit in England from suffocating anti-FMD controls – and
also laid the foundations for future industry-government partnerships
on the management of bovine TB and wider responsibility and cost
sharing for animal disease control.
So says the National Beef Association which was one of the six
industry partners which has worked almost full time with Defra
over the past ten days to put together the FMD exit strategy which
is already being praised by farmers, vets and by government itself.
The key points in the strategy are that from August 16th
a general movement licence can be used for the movement of any
susceptible species within a holding in England for welfare reasons
with a distance limit of 3 km radius and may include a movement
along/across a public road and all movements must observe strict
bio-security measures.
At the end of next week a general licence will be available to
allow the collection and distribution of livestock moving direct
to slaughter at an approved collection centre where the highest
level of bio-security and traceability can be maintained.
“The new licences will definitely ease the pressure on mounting
on-farm welfare problems and the movements have been allowed following
precise analysis of the risks”, explained NBA director, Kim
Haywood.
“Each of these moves will dramatically reduce the strain
on individual farmers, and the red meat supply chain in England,
and it is to be hoped that similar relaxations will be approved
in Scotland and Wales too.”
“Farmers, vets and other industry specialists must maintain
their vigilance on bio-security because it will add weight to the
joint Defra-industry request for the European Commission’s
SCoFCAH committee to vote on the resumption of meat and meat product
exports from the UK when it meets on August 23rd,” said Ms
Haywood.
“And if all continues to go well SCoFCAH will also be asked
to table a vote on the resumption of live animal exports from the
UK when it meets again early in September.”
“It is impressive that farmers and vets in the UK have demonstrated
their high state of alert as 57 possible FMD cases have been reported
and investigated across GB, 52 have been negated, 5 are still under
investigation and this vigilance and thoroughness is certain to
be taken into account by SCoFCAH when it makes its own assessment
of the FMD position within the UK next week.”
“Farmers and processors now know that it is impossible for
the industry to return to normal before September 8th and that
every effort is being made for normal movement and trading to begin
again as soon as possible after that date.”
“The NBA believes today’s announcement will help everyone
in the industry to plan ahead and is also hoping that the success
of this joint industry-government exercise in disease crisis management
will be repeated when attention returns to Bovine TB and other
on-going animal health issues,” Ms Haywood added.
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