MAFF relaxes curbs on stock movement
MAFF relaxes curbs on stock movement
BULLS, rams and boars can now be moved under licence to farms in need of breeding stock after MAFF announced it was relaxing foot-and-mouth disease restrictions.
The announcement covers only male breeding animals, but it does mean that bulls, boars and rams can be moved on to different holdings as from May 11, when applications will be accepted by MAFF.
Many spring calving herds were in desperate need of bulls to cover suckler cows. So the announcement was just in time for spring calving beef herds and before the main mating season for sheep flocks.
The National Beef Association had been campaigning for movement restrictions on bulls to be lifted and had warned that no action would threaten the 2002 calf crop.
The organisation says this would plunge farming into further crisis. *