Confidential cattle registration support launched for farmers

Farmers who are anxious about falling behind with cattle registrations are being offered confidential help before paperwork problems spiral out of control.

Scottish agricultural charity RSABI is launching a new support service on a six-month trial basis from June.

The service will allow farmers and crofters to request confidential advice and guidance from an independent cattle registration specialist.

RSABI said the aim was to encourage people to seek help at an early stage if they are struggling with any aspect of cattle registrations.

The charity said some farmers may feel ashamed, embarrassed or anxious when records fall behind, meaning problems can be hidden until they become harder to fix.

Carol McLaren, chief executive of RSABI, said there were many reasons why people could struggle to keep cattle registrations up to date.

She said: “It is estimated that around 25% of Scottish farmers are dyslexic and this is one of a number of reasons that people can struggle with keeping cattle registrations up to date.”

Unexpected pressures in farming and family life can also cause important administration to fall behind.

These can include bereavement, accidents, injury, illness, health conditions, poor mental health, extreme weather or financial worries.

RSABI said difficulties can also arise when the family member responsible for cattle registration work develops an illness such as dementia.

Ms McLaren said: “The problem is that when something goes wrong with one part of the farm or family life, there can be a domino effect which impacts the whole business.

“And if calf registrations fall behind it can be surprisingly hard to catch up and things can start to snowball.”

She said some people may keep the issue to themselves while becoming increasingly worried that the situation could get out of hand.

RSABI said ignoring the problem could lead to greater confusion and stress.

The charity is encouraging farmers and crofters who have fallen behind, or who are worried about their situation, to make contact as soon as possible.

The new service is intended to act as a confidential first step, helping people understand the process and build confidence before contacting officials.

The independent cattle registration specialist will provide guidance on how to raise concerns with the relevant bodies.

They will also explain what response farmers and crofters might expect, depending on their individual circumstances.

Ms McLaren said: “We recognise, however, that sometimes people can hesitate to take steps and our hope is that this new service, arranged confidentially through RSABI’s Helpline, will help to increase understanding of the process and build confidence by getting in touch with us.

“The independent cattle registration expert working alongside RSABI will offer clear guidance to farmers and crofters on how to take steps to contact officials to raise their concerns, and also give an indication of what response they might expect to receive, depending on their individual situations.”

She said the priority was to prevent anxiety and stress from increasing and stop situations from deteriorating.

RSABI will review the impact of the service over the six-month trial period to assess how valuable it has been for farmers and crofters in difficult circumstances.

Farmers and crofters concerned about cattle registrations can call RSABI’s free confidential helpline on 0808 1234 555 and request a call back to discuss their situation.