Assurance makes gains

14 December 2001




Assurance makes gains

MEMBERSHIP of farm assurance schemes has increased over the past three months and tougher standards are afoot, after a review which should be published in mid-January.

Speaking at AgriVision, Farm Assured British Beef and Lamb chief executive Philippa Wiltshire said there had been a noticeable increase in membership applications over recent months.

"These have mainly come from sheep producers who were supplying lambs for export and are now finding themselves having to supply the domestic market, which largely demands farm assurance.

"The second group are store lamb and cattle producers unable to move stock off farm due to movement restrictions, who are finishing them themselves."

Set up by the farming industry in 1992, FABBL has 18,000 members and assures 1.4m cattle and 6m sheep. It covered 75% of slaughtered cattle and 60% of slaughtered lambs, she said.

Recent suggestions that livestock farms should be licensed meant FABBL was becoming increasingly involved in discussions with DEFRA, said Ms Wiltshire.

"Whether licensing will happen is unclear. But FABBL has an opportunity to work with DEFRA to provide reassurance about farm standards. There is no point in DEFRA developing a scheme from scratch without taking account of what is already there.

"Much pressure will come over the next year to improve standards on farms. Assured British Meat is reviewing FABBL standards and will report early next year. This will include new standards covering farmer-owned transport, connected with ensuring adequate biosecurity and animal welfare." &#42


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