Farmers’ relief as animal movement licences announced
Today's announcement by the government that livestock producers in the region can move animals off their farms and take them directly to slaughter and that the collection of fallen stock can resume, is the news the industry has been waiting for, says the NFU in the East Midlands.
Since the total ban on animal movements was introduced on Friday 3 August, in response to the Foot and Mouth outbreak in Surrey, pressure has been building up within the livestock industry, with animals due for slaughter unable to be moved to abattoirs and dead animals left to decompose when collections halted.
"This announcement will come as a great relief to livestock producers," said NFU regional director, Richard Hezlet. "However, the easing of the restrictions does not mean that we can let down our guard and producers must ensure that they ensure high levels of biosecurity and check their stock regularly and carefully.
"The NFU has been pushing very hard, negotiating with Defra, Animal Health and indeed the Prime Minister, to get these licences approved and we are pleased to see that five days into this outbreak we can begin to see some return to normality in a bid to limit the damage to the national and regional livestock industry.
"Now the issue of movement to slaughter is resolved, and once the risk assessments allow, we will be pushing to get unresolved licensing issues pushed to the top of the list of priorities, for example on welfare and stock management issues. We also need to ensure that we can re-open our livestock markets across the region, probably as collection centres for finished animals for slaughter."
Many farmers are concerned that there are growing welfare problems, for example; heavily pregnant cattle needing to be moved back to the main farm to calve; pig producers who are short of space on production units and unable to move weaned pigs off the farm and unfinished routine sheep management tasks including dipping and foot trimming which are essential jobs at this time of year.
Today's announcement permits farmers to make immediate arrangements with their abattoir or knackerman (under the National Fallen Stock Scheme), but the licences are conditional on strict biosecurity measures being followed.
"Our priority, as from day one, is to contain and eradicate this disease," added Richard Hezlet, "and we must not lose that focus as we begin limited movements again. We cannot stress too highly the need for continued vigilance and heightened biosecurity on the region's farms. But it is good news that the Chief Veterinary Officer has felt able to authorise these licences."
