All non-assured livestock farmers must soon be able to demonstrate that a veterinary visit has taken place in the past 12 months when sending animals to market or slaughter.
The livestock sector is stepping up efforts to help inform farmers of the requirement to obtain a signed declaration to allow the future sale of animals destined for export.
EU Animal Health Regulations require farms producing animals or products of animal origin for export to the bloc to have regular veterinary visits.
A temporary measure allowed farmers to self-declare, but from Wednesday 13 December UK producers sending animals to market or to slaughter must be able to demonstrate that a veterinary visit has taken place in the past 12 months.
The veterinary declaration will form a ‘statutory health attestation’ and will be required to certify any exports of Products of Animal Origin (POAO) to the EU.
Membership of qualifying assurance schemes, including Red Tractor, or having a Pig Pathway visit, for England only, is deemed as meeting the requirement.
Obtaining a signed veterinary attestation must be done at least once in a 12-month period and can be combined with any other routine veterinary visit.
National Sheep Association chief executive, Phil Stocker, said the rule change was likely to impact all sheep farmers regardless of whether sales are limited to breeding or store lambs.
He said: "The attestation will give evidence that at the time of the visit the farm was free from a number of stated notifiable diseases, and that there is a good standard of disease control and biosecurity. A standard form is available for vets to use.
“NSA is urging sheep farmers across the country to speak directly with their vets and keep an open conversation to ensure they are compliant for animals destined for export."
The current system of farmer declarations can continue to be used as a source of evidence for the certification of the ‘regular vet visit’ until 13 December.
After this date, independent attestations will be needed either via membership of a qualifying farm assurance scheme or from a valid veterinary declaration.
