United Kingdom-Auctioneers and Abattoirs iron it out.

UNITED KIGDOM-Livestock trade across the country faces serious disruption as a dispute between farmers, auctioneers and abattoirs over BSE testing fees escalates.

Auctioneers across Britain have come under pressure from processors to charge farmers the £7.50 fee for brain stem tests on cattle over 48 monthsThe abattoirs want the payment deducted when farmers are paid for cattle sold, but auctioneers have refused to do so arguing it is not their money to deduct.

The problem began on 1 January when DEFRA decided to pass back the cost for the tests to industry. Despite meetings, it was never resolved who in the chain would pay the bill.

Cattle sales have been cancelled in the stand-off while abattoirs have boycotted some markets, leading to fears that insufficient beef is available.

West Wales auctioneers JJ Morris stopped a sale of 120 cattle scheduled on Wednesday (11 February) because it refused to bend to pressure from an abattoir.

Chris Dodds, Livestock Auctioneers Association executive secretary, said the situation was "massively serious".

He said abattoirs should adjust their bid price to reflect their increased costs and claimed some larger abattoirs had manipulated others to join them in the stand-off.

"I suspect abattoirs will be short of cow beef because they’ve not bought enough in the past couple of days," he added.