UNCERTAINTY once again surrounds the Cheshire farming industry as it enters yet another period of change now that cattle over thirty months old is allowed back into the food chain.

photo courtesy of www.jennifermackenzie.co.uk

Following the BSE scare of 1996, the Government brought in the Over Thirty Months (OTM) rule that permanently excluded all cattle born before August 1 1996 from the food and feed chain. The Over Thirty Months Scheme (OTMS) was then introduced to provide an outlet for cattle that could no longer enter these chains due to the rule.

The development of a reliable BSE testing regime is the reason OTM cattle has now been allowed back into the food chain and this has been welcomed by Cheshire livestock and dairy farmers across the board. However, its reintroduction throws up a multitude of issues that need addressing, particularly because the OTMS is due to end in January of next year.

For that reason, NFU North West's dairy and livestock boards have arranged a joint meeting to look at the issues in greater detail.

The meeting will take place at Beeston Castle Auction Mart in Tarporley on Tuesday 29 November at 7.30pm. Issues include the market for meat from OTM cattle, possible prices farmers will receive and a new scheme which will be available for pre-1996 animals.

Representatives from the auctioneering and slaughtering sectors will highlight the issues from their perspective while Clive Brown, north west area manager for the English Beef and Lamb Executive, will outline the opportunities the new market opens up to farmers. All farmers from the Cheshire area are more than welcome to attend this meeting.

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