Joint dairy assurance timely and sensible

Arrangements permitting the assurance of mature beef from dairy farms through the dairy farm assurance scheme (NDFSA) have been welcomed by the NFU, which has described the move as timely and sensible.

Assured Food Standards, NDFAS and Assured British Meats (ABM) have announced that an agreement has been reached on extending the scope of the NDFAS to allow it to assure beef from calves up to 100 days of age and older cattle more than two-and-a-half years of age. The deal will require a small number of changes to NDFAS standards but will allow NDFAS to deliver credible and robust beef assurance for these cattle in line with existing ABM standards.

A transitional arrangement is also being implemented that will allow currently assured farms not due their next inspection in the near future to apply for their OTM cattle to be sold as assured with immediate effect. This is subject to making an application with appropriate supporting documentary evidence to demonstrate compliance with the new elements of the NDFAS standards.

NFU dairy board chairman Gwyn Jones said: "The NFU has worked hard with NDFSA, ABM and AFS to arrive at this sensible agreement to facilitate the assurance of cull cows from the dairy sector. Our dairy farming members have been pushing hard for this and we hope that with these new arrangements there will be benefits of lower cost and greater convenience for specialist dairy farmers. Beef assurance will be a pre-condition for access to the better value markets for mature beef from the dairy herd. I would hope dairy farmers use this assurance in order to get the best return on their beef."