Detailed arrangements for the autumn movements of livestock were announced today by DEFRA.
The details are contained in a letter which is being sent to all livestock farmers.
The Secretary of State Margaret Beckett said: "Our overriding priority is to stamp out foot and mouth disease. Autumn is usually the busiest time of year for the movement of livestock. But this year circumstances are far from normal.
"We cannot risk the disease flaring up and emerging in new areas or re- appearing in old ones. This is why we have concluded that it is only possible to restart commercial movement of stock if strict conditions are imposed to protect against the spread of disease," she said.
"Clearly any movement of animals poses some risk, but a total standstill on movements would itself create severe welfare problems as well as compounding commercial difficulties. It is not an easy balance to strike but the regime has been drawn up on the basis of scientific and veterinary advice and in close consultation with the farming unions. I am pleased it has the unions' support as the co-operation of farming communities will be essential in stamping out what remains of the disease in the hot spot areas."
AUTUMN MOVEMENT CONTROLS
1. On 28 August I announced the outline of arrangements for restricted movements of livestock this autumn. I am writing to you now to let you know the detailed arrangements of the overall policy so that you know how this affects you.
2. In normal circumstances, we all know Autumn is the busiest time of year for the movement of livestock. But this year circumstances are far from normal. Our overriding priority is to stamp out foot and mouth disease. We must minimise the risk of the disease flaring up and emerging in new areas or re-appearing in old ones. Movements of animals pose a risk of spreading disease. We want to do our best to enable an increase in the movement of stock. But we have concluded that we can only do this if strict conditions are imposed.
3. You should therefore be aware that you are unlikely to be able to move your animals in the normal way under these arrangements, and that you may need to change your trading and farming practices to reflect this.
4. I very much appreciate the efforts which farmers have already made - and indeed continue to make - to eradicate this disease. The system which we are putting in place for the Autumn seeks to balance the need for increased movements against the overriding priority to stamp down on FMD, and therefore seeks to minimise risks. Your cooperation in these exceptional circumstances will be essential to achieve the common goal of eradicating foot and mouth as soon as possible. We must continue to work together to see the end of this awful disease. Autumn Movements - Scope of the arrangements
5. The arrangements outlined in this letter cover all movements for commercial, husbandry or welfare reasons except for movements direct to slaughter. Current arrangements for the licensed movements of animals to slaughter, whether for human consumption or under the Livestock Welfare (Disposal) Scheme and the Over Thirty Months Scheme (OTMS), are not affected and continue unchanged for the present.
6. The Movement Control Areas currently in force across a large area of Northern England and in Powys will be removed when the new Autumn movement arrangements come into force. However, Infected Area and Restricted Infected Area controls, along with notices served on individual premises, will remain in force.
7. All movements covered by the new Autumn arrangements will require a licence application to be made through a local authority. We will be publishing fuller details on how to apply for a licence shortly. Divisional Veterinary Managers of DEFRA will continue to deal with all aspects of movements within Restricted Infected Areas and premises subject to movement restrictions under Form D. FMD status of Counties
8. Counties and districts throughout Great Britain have been classified according to their disease status. Movements will be restricted on the basis of the disease status of whole counties or unitary authority or metropolitan district areas. Counties, Unitary Authorities and Metropolitan Districts will be classified as either: - High Risk counties - At Risk counties, or - FMD Free counties.
9. Details of which classification applies as of today (11 September) to each county etc. are available on the DEFRA website (www.defra.gov.uk) and will be updated on the website effective from each Tuesday.
The next important changes are expected to apply from 18 September. If you do not have access to our website, please contact your local authority, Animal Health Office or NFU Regional Office for the status of the area in which you farm, or the FMD Helpline on 0845 050 4141.
10. There are currently a number of Counties classified as At Risk. We are carrying out an extensive programme of blood testing so that these counties can be classified as FMD Free as soon as it is safe to do so.
11. If you are in a High Risk county which has a substantial Infected Area or a Restricted Infected Area - Cumbria, Durham, North Yorkshire, Northumberland and Powys - the previous weight of FMD infection means that more intensive testing of sheep flocks is required before we can be confident about the absence of hidden disease and movement control can be relaxed.
Special arrangements will also apply to Devon, which is classified as an At Risk county, but where there is a large sheep population, a heavy weight of previous infection and where blood testing of sheep needs to continue. It is hoped that this process in Devon will be complete by the end of September.
12. At present classifications relate to County units. We are considering whether larger counties can be split to allow part of them to be reclassified.
13. The dates for starting the new arrangements are as follows. Cattle Pigs Sheep, Goats & Camelids Free Counties Sep 17 Sep 17 Sep 17 At Risk Counties Sep 24 Sep 24 Oct 1 High Risk Counties Sep 24 Sep 24 Oct 1 It is vital that you appreciate your role in the process, and that you retain realistic expectations of what can be done given the huge amount of work which your local authority will be dealing with. Transitional arrangements - Local Movement Licences and Longer Distance Movement Licences
14. Applications under the new system may be made to Local Authorities from 17 September for the movement of cattle, pigs, sheep, goats and camelids from free counties. From 24 September, applications may be made in respect of cattle and pigs in high risk and at risk counties. For sheep, goats and camelids in high risk or at risk counties, a blood test will be required before movement is allowed, and for them the new system will not start until 1 October. Where animals in this category need urgently to move before the end of September for welfare reasons, applications should be made to DEFRA under the Local Movement Scheme and the Long Distances Movement Scheme. Such movements will be restricted to within county boundaries. From 1 October Local Movement and Longer Distance Movement Licences will no longer be available. Applications for the urgent welfare movement of sheep should therefore be made now. All applications received under these schemes up to 1 October will be processed. Occupational Movement Licences
15. These will continue to be available from DEFRA Animal Health Offices as at present. Livestock Markets and Farm Sales
16. After much examination we have reluctantly concluded that it will not be possible yet to permit the reopening of livestock markets in England and Wales. The possibility of reopening cattle markets will be kept under review. Farm sales, defined as the gathering of more than two people on a livestock farm in connection with the sale of animals, remain prohibited for the present. Farm to farm movements of livestock
17. Details of where livestock can be moved and the conditions that apply to them can be found in the enclosed Annexes. There is an annex for cattle, one for pigs and another for sheep, goats and camelids. There is also a summary page and a list of local authorities.
18. All movements will be subject to biosecurity controls. Where the movement is to take place over a distance of 10km or less, all vehicles will be required to be cleansed and disinfected. Where the movement is greater than 10km, vehicles will be required to be cleansed and disinfected and secured with a numbered seal at an approved cleansing and disinfection centre. Veterinary Inspection
19. All livestock to be moved must be inspected by a veterinary surgeon in the 24 hours prior to movement. You will be responsible for arranging the veterinary inspection, which has to be carried out by a vet who is designated as a Local Veterinary Inspector (LVI) by DEFRA. DEFRA will meet the cost of the LVI inspection.
20. In High Risk and At Risk counties there will also need to be blood testing of sheep, goats and camelids before movement. See details in the individual species annexes. We will be publishing details shortly to explain to sheep, goat and camelid farmers in the high risk and at risk counties how the system of blood testing will work.
21. From 11 September rams and billy goats to be moved in high risk and at risk counties will each have to be blood tested, individually identified and examined by an LVI. Animal Identification
22. Identification of animals will be required, as will be the keeping of accurate records of animals moving onto and off a holding. You will, therefore, be required to record the identity of animals moving onto or off your holding on the day that the movement takes place. Details for each of the species are given in the annexes. Journey Limits
23. Journeys will be subject to a time limit of 9 hours where there are two drivers, and 41/2 hours where there is a single driver. The movement must begin within 24 hours of the LVI inspection. Multiple pick-ups and drop-offs will not be permitted and there should be no scheduled stops other than to change drivers. Within high-risk counties, the journey route must not go outside the county. You will be able to transit counties of a higher risk status using trunk roads, or a motorway (e.g. from a free county to another, passing through an at risk or high-risk county). But you will not be able to transit a county of a lower risk status (e.g. from one at risk county to another, passing through a free county). Subsequent Movement Limits
24. Twenty-one day movement restrictions will apply to all permitted movements except for pigs within closed breeding "pyramids". Otherwise no susceptible stock will be permitted to leave a farm within 21 days of susceptible stock moving on, except under licence for slaughter.
25. Sheep, goats and camelids will only be permitted to move once under the autumn movement scheme, other than to slaughter, unless a veterinary assessment suggests wholly exceptional and unforeseen circumstances have arisen. Separate rules for rams and billy goats are being introduced on 11 September (paragraph 21). Livestock Welfare Disposal Scheme
26. The existing Livestock Welfare Disposal Scheme remains available in cases where it can be shown that there is an existing or imminent welfare problem affecting livestock that cannot be resolved by other means. As we have made clear, rates of payment under this Scheme will be reviewed regularly. Livestock Welfare Disposal Scheme - Light Lambs
27. With the current ban on exports, and continuing restrictions on movements on sheep, some farmers will not be able to find a market for their lambs. Producers of light lambs which would normally be exported are likely to be particularly affected. In order to forestall the welfare problems that would arise if these lambs were left on farms over winter, a new scheme extending the Livestock Welfare Disposal Scheme to cover lambs that cannot be marketed and would otherwise face welfare problems was introduced from 3 September.
28. Should you wish to use this scheme you should apply direct to a participating abattoir, who will arrange the collection and slaughter of the lambs and pay you for them. Although the scheme is primarily intended to deal with light lambs, it is open to all lambs from this year's crop. Payments will be on a flat rate basis, set at #10 per head. Lambs slaughtered under this scheme will be disposed of in commercial landfill sites or by rendering. Details of the scheme, and of how to apply, have been sent by the Intervention Board to all farmers who have claimed Sheep Annual Premium this year. Conclusion
29. We have sought to keep these provisions as simple as possible in the circumstances. If however you need any further assistance, please feel free to contact the FMD Helpline on 0845 0504141 between 8am and 10pm, seven days a week. Your call will be charged at the local rate. |
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