Prime cattle barred from OTMS?

PRIME CATTLE could be excluded from the over-thirty-month scheme, leaving 32,000 heifers and steers each year with no outlet.

FARMERS WEEKLY has learned that DEFRA will propose the major change to the scheme at a meeting with beef industry representatives in London on Friday Aug 20.

According to information leaked to FW, the changes to the scheme would be implemented in three months‘ time.

It is a move that would save the Treasury more than £10m a year.

But beef producers would be left with a bill for disposing of animals deemed unfit – by the Department of Health – for human consumption.

National Beef Association chief executive Robert Forster said that DEFRA had decided to make the move to cut costs.

He said that DEFRA had been wrong-footed by the Department of Health‘s insistence in July that the OTMS should remain in place.

“DEFRA expected the scheme to have been abolished by now,” said Mr Forster.

“That would have freed up millions of pounds. It‘s now looking to save money wherever it can.

“But in the case of heifers it‘s a cut too far. There is a genuine case for heifers to be entered into the OTM scheme,” Mr Forster said.

“These are breeding animals that, over time, have proved to be barren,” he said.

“For steers, however, it is harder to justify their continued inclusion in the scheme.

“These animals should be sold before they reach 30 months and be included in the food chain.

“The place of every British steer that has been lost to the scheme has been filled by an imported beef carcass.

“This has been a considerable loss to our industry and weakened our position,” he added.