Standstill relief for Scots

25 January 2002




Standstill relief for Scots

By Andrew Shirley

SCOTTISH livestock farmers will soon be released from the virtual stranglehold imposed by the much-criticised 20-day standstill rule, following proposed changes announced by the Scottish Executive earlier this week.

English and Welsh producers are hoping that DEFRA will quickly copy the move that NFU Scotland believes will give producers much more flexibility, while respecting veterinary requirements for biosecurity.

From mid-February, several exceptions from triggering the 20-day rule will be allowed. These include bulls and rams for breeding, calves, show animals and away-wintered animals.

But, perhaps more crucially, says Keith Redpath, chairman of the Scottish Council of the National Beef Association, the 20-day rule will now apply to individual animals rather than whole farms.

This means that from Mar 18 for cattle, and May 18 for sheep, farmers will be free to move animals, including store and breeding stock, off farm for sale as long as any incoming animals during the previous 20 days have been quarantined.

Under current legislation, introduced in the wake of foot-and-mouth, all stock on the farm is effectively put under quarantine for 21 days every time new animals are brought in from markets or other holdings – only animals going direct to slaughter are exempt.

"At least we now have options available to us," said Mr Redpath. "At the moment we are so bound it is almost impossible to function. As it stands, if a farmer was unhappy with the price offered for an animal at market he would be unable to bring it home without locking up his farm for 21 days."

But not everybody within the industry is happy with the proposals. "The plans are disappointing and wholly unacceptable," said Brian Pack, chief executive of auction and meat processing group ANM. "The executive seems to have ignored its own research that suggested a 14-day standstill would be adequate.

"It is also unacceptable that farmers will have to wait until March or May. It is strange a standstill will apply in the UK when we have now been declared F&M-free by the rest of the world."

South of the border, John Thorley, chief executive of the National Sheep Association, felt it was a positive step and was confident DEFRA would follow the Scots lead. "They are not as intransigent as some people think. We have already had talks about a new interim regime which could be introduced on Feb 11."

Although DEFRA would not reveal details of any future changes, a spokesman told farmers weekly that it planned to hold a technical briefing on reform of the regulations soon. But Mr Thorley expected sufficient exemptions to allow shows and markets to start operating again.

Robert Forster, chief executive of the NBA, also reckoned the news from Scotland boded well for the rest of the country. "It would be crazy indeed if that signal was not taken up in England and Wales and we had separate movement legislation from Scotland." &#42


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