Tight rules as MAFF allows pig movements

By Peter Crichton

TO try and ease the pressure on overstocked units, MAFF has announced that some movements within zones may now be permitted.

Those farms operated by the same owner may be allowed to move pigs under licence from full to empty units on welfare grounds subject to stringent inspection and temperature testing beforehand.

All loading will have to be under veterinary supervision and movements can only occur in areas which have been CSF-free for at least 30 days.

Another method to get pigs moving is being looked at by MAFF under derogation rules.

This would allow selected abattoirs to put derogation pigs through their plants under special restrictions which can then be sold for human consumption.

These pigs would also have to be temperature tested and moved under veterinary control and licence.

The meat plants would have to retain a 24-hour slot for derogation pigs only, and these could then be sold within the EU under certificate, but no exports will be permitted to non EU countries.

Although the price tendered for these pigs will be less than open-market value, due to the rising shortage of live pigs in the UK, trade sources believe that the derogation price will be better than the Welfare Scheme quotes on the table at present.