Reduction of Testing Age Will Increase Cost Burden
UK - Despite strong opposition from NFU Cymru and the UK farming community, pre-movement testing of cattle has from today (1 March) been extended to include animals from 42 days old, for those farmers moving cattle out of a 1 or 2 yearly tested herd.
2 March 2007
1 minute read
NFU Cymru has strongly opposed the extension of pre-movement testing to younger animals, as farmers will face increased costs as a result of the new regime. Commenting on the news, NFU Cymru President Dai Davies said, “Extending the pre-movement testing age to thousands of younger animals will prove hugely costly to farmers in TB areas. It is dangerous to the farmers and vets involved in carrying out the tests and is disruptive to the marketing of store cattle, especially for smaller farmers.
“As an industry we already bear significant costs in disease protection and as the Welsh Assembly Government puts off any action to eradicate the disease by addressing the reservoir of disease in the badger population, the industry will be forced to face ever increasing costs and ever increasing restrictions.
“The Welsh Assembly Government really needs to face up to its responsibilities and to stop all this prevarication. Farmers are being left bemused and angry at the Assembly’s continued lack of decisiveness and clear action. The solution is simple; there can be no place for diseased cattle or diseased badgers,” Mr Davies concluded. -ends-
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