Shearing licence on the way
Shearing licence on the way
By Marianne Curtis
ALTHOUGH legal sheep shearing is now well under way in non-infected foot-and-mouth areas, MAFF is to introduce a licensing system for all contract shearers early next month.
But before licensing is introduced, risk of spread via shearing should be low because it is illegal for contract shearers to operate in infected areas, says the National Association of Agricultural Contractors (NAAC).
The system, currently being refined by MAFF, is necessary to minimise risk of spreading F&M between farms, says vet adviser to the ministry, Kevin Taylor.
"Shearers moving from farm to farm have close contact with sheep. If you had to come up with a way of quickly spreading F&M, it would be via a contract shearer."
To combat risk of F&M transmission, contractors will either have to apply for a "red" licence, allowing them to operate in infected areas or a "green" licence to shear in controlled areas – the rest of the UK – but not both, says Mr Taylor. "This licence will involve every individual in a shearing team including wool gatherers."
A centralised licensing agency and database of shearers will be set up and applicants will need to supply identification to be issued with a licence, he believes.
"We hope the system will be up and running by June 1 or sooner if possible. There are more than 5000 contract shearers, so it will take time to enter them on the database."
Contractors with a licence to shear in infected areas will be able to apply for a licence to shear in clean areas, but must have a break of seven days from shearing when transferring, says Mr Taylor.
Licensed shearers will be required to follow a code of practice including cleansing and disinfecting clothing, equipment and vehicles when arriving on and leaving each farm. They will also have to keep detailed records of premises visited.
Until the licensing scheme is in place, shearing is illegal in infected areas, with the exception of issuing licences to producers to shear their own sheep.
But many contract shearers are currently legally shearing flocks in non-infected areas and MAFF has been slow to act on licensing, according to executive officer of NAAC, Jill Hewitt.
"We produced a shearing protocol weeks ago, but MAFF has taken a long time to approve it. NAAC is being inundated by calls from shearers seeking information on licensing."
But despite lack of licensing in the short term, there should be minimal risk to flocks being sheared in non-infected areas, believes Mrs Hewitt. "The biggest risk would come if shearers were allowed to move from shearing infected to non-infected farms. But until licensing, it is illegal for them to shear flocks in infected areas."
When the licensing scheme is up and running, shearers and producers must take particular care to establish a farms status, she warns. "Shearers and producers will be equally liable to make sure contractors have the correct licence to operate on the premises.
"Sometimes it is unclear whether a farm is in an infected area, particularly when it has not been served with a Form D. The only way to be certain is to check with the local MAFF office."
It is likely that contractors will shear non-infected areas before applying for a licence to shear in infected areas, she adds.
The NAAC protocol advises contract shearers to obtain written permission from producers before visiting premises, as well as detailing disinfection procedures. Producers responsibilities include providing disinfection equipment, ground sheets for rolling fleeces and electrical extension cables to limit risk of disease spread.
"The more equipment producers can provide themselves the better," says Mrs Hewitt.
The NAACs protocol can be found on the associations web-site: www.naac.co.uk, telephone 01733-362920. *
SHEARING RESPONSIBILITY
• Contractors must be licensed.
• Careful disinfection required.
• Shearing protocol.