OCDS deadline draws nearer

Livestock keepers are reminded that the Older Cattle Disposal Scheme will end on 31 December. Any remaining pre 1996 cattle must be booked in by September 30 and disposed of before 31 December or keepers will receive no compensation. Any pre 1996 cattle remaining in the national herd after 31 December will have to be BSE tested when they die or are killed on farm and there is currently no guarantee that the current free over-24-month BSE collection scheme for fallen bovine will operate past the first few months of 2009.

This means all fallen bovine remaining after the end of the current scheme will have to be collected off farm at a cost to producers. The NFU is working extremely hard with other stakeholders to lobby ministers and Defra to get additional funding to keep these anticipated collection and disposal costs as low as possible for producers.