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19 December, 2008
Age threshold will increase to 48 months from 1 January 09
Following the agreement of the Food Standards Agency and Health Ministers,
the age threshold above which all cattle slaughtered for human consumption
in England must be tested for BSE will increase to 48 months from 1 January
2009.
This change only applies to cattle born in the UK or other EU15 Member
States.
Scotland and Northern
Ireland have already issued press notices. A press notice from
Defra is expected next week.
11 November, 2008
DEFRA INTERNATIONAL TRADE
To advise exporters of livestock and livestock genetics and meat of
a pilot partnership which will inject extra resource towards improving
access to more non-EU country markets.
UK
Exports Certification Partnership
3 November, 2008 - DEFRA News Release
New Bovine TB eradication group for England
The Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn, has today announced that Defra
and the English Cattle Industry have agreed to form a new
Bovine TB Eradication Group. This will be a joint Defra/Industry group
and its remit is set out below. The exact membership of the group will
be finalised shortly.
Bovine TB Eradication Group
A new England group on eradication of TB in cattle will be set up to
make recommendations to the Secretary of State on bovine TB and its eradication.
The membership of the group will include representatives from Defra’s
Food and Farming Group, Animal Health, the farming industry and the veterinary
profession, and it will be convened and facilitated by Defra. The Group
may invite other experts to contribute to its work as necessary, including
other industry bodies and wider interest groups. It will also draw on
the advice of the Commission’s TB Task Force, which will be invited
to visit GB in early 2009.
The group will review the current TB strategy and control measures and
develop a plan for reducing the incidence of bovine TB from cattle in
England and moving towards eventual eradication. It will also assess
options to help farmers in high incidence areas maintain viable businesses
when under disease restrictions. A priority output from the work of this
group will be a series of measures which can be submitted to the European
Commission for approval as part of a formal eradication plan. The group
may wish to make recommendations on other issues as they arise, and Defra
may also choose to refer specific issues to the group.
The group will look at the options available to address infection in
cattle and to reduce the risk of transmission between cattle and between
cattle and wildlife, and consider costs and benefits in making recommendations
for action. It will consider options for using vaccination in cattle
and badgers. It will also consider any exceptional circumstances or new
scientific evidence that might arise relating to the established policy
on badger culling for control of TB, recognising that the terms of this
policy are currently subject to judicial review.
In carrying out this work the group will have full access to information
on Defra’s TB budget and be able to make recommendations on its
use within Defra’s funding ceilings. It will also be able to make
recommendations for additional expenditure where these can be supported
by a robust business case.
Hilary Benn said:
“I welcome the establishment of this joint government-industry
group. It is a step forward in moving towards the long-term goal of eradicating
bovine TB. The Group will have difficult issues to consider on what further
steps we can together take to improve disease control and deliver benefits
for both the industry and the taxpayer."
"We have worked hard over recent months to find a way government
and industry can come together on this and I am pleased we have reached
an agreement which can carry us forward."
Copy of a letter sent to DEFRA regarding
Badger culling from Fiona Sloan 
Compensation for Bovine TB, BSE, Brucellosis and Enzootic Bovine
LeukosisCompensation payable during February 2008, in England
(and in Wales and Scotland for BSE only) for a bovine animal
compulsorily slaughtered for disease control purposes will
be as detailed. [more]
Animal Health Divisional Office Contacts |
