On target :

Beef Cattle

NFU Scotland – fighting for your interests

• Beef Exports
  
  NFUS has worked tirelessly to regain our £130million Scottish beef export industry. Quiet diplomacy behind the scenes in Brussels, Westminster and Holyrood paid off when the ban was lifted in April 2006.
  
  
• DNA Passport Appeals
     
  NFUS has consistently argued that despite a passport application being late where a DNA link between dam and calf can be shown a full passport should be issued.   It is now possible, following on from that lobbying, to apply to BCMS for a full passport where a DNA link between dam and calf can be shown.   There are some 2,500 cattle in Scotland without a full passport.   This new appeal route will enable many of them to be issued with a full passport and so be used in the human food chain.
  
  
• Tallow Ban
  
  NFUS campaigned for a common sense approach to the Waste Incineration Directive (WID) and as a result we were instrumental in Defra’s decision to allow renderers to continue to burn tallow in their plants until the outcome of a full investigation into the burning of tallow is completed at a European level.
  
  
• Penalties for missing eartags
  
  NFUS secured a significant change to the way in which SEERAD apply penalties when they find animals with eartags missing during an inspection. Instead of applying penalties straight away, producers now have 28 days to rectify tagging errors before SEERAD take any action.
  
  
• Cattle Health Declaration
  
  The Scottish Cattle Health Declaration was an outcome of the Cattle Health Conference organised by NFUS in May 2005.  The conference highlighted the need for a standardised format for health declarations to allow buyers to access consistent information on the health status of stock.  An all industry stakeholder group was set up and facilitated by NFUS and this was supported by a consultation exercise carried out with members to assess their requirements for a standardised document.  The result, a document that is acceptable to both the industry and stakeholders.
  
  
• Cattle Clipping
                   
  NFUS has, and continues to, acquire evidence to support our claim that cattle clipping pre-mortem is a hazard to human health.  We are seeking industry wide support to move the slaughter sector into a post-mortem system. 
  
  
• Cattle passports
  
  We have succeeded in persuading Government to defer charges for cattle passports and SRM inspections in abattoirs.  This is worth over £20 million to Scotland.

June 2008

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On target :

Sheep

NFU Scotland – fighting for your interests

• Sheep Identification
  
  NFUS was instrumental in convincing the EU that individual recording is not necessary for the Scottish system of sheep production and the new system of double tagging introduced by Brussels has been implemented without individual recording. NFUS has created a business guide factsheet of essential information.
  
  
• Scottish Sheep Scab Initiative
  
  NFUS has been instrumental in coordinating the Scottish Sheep Scab Initiative which is aimed at reducing the incidence of sheep scab by promoting and supporting best practice, minimising the impacts of outbreaks and maximising the effects of preventative action.  NFUS will be playing a key role in the new Sheep Scab Industry Group who will oversee the introduction of a single compulsory treatment period by 2008.
  
  
• Fallen Stock
  
  NFUS has played a key part in securing a voluntary, subsidised collection and disposal service for fallen stock. Costs to farmers are subject to a 30 per cent discount as a result of £10 million in government funding. We have successfully maintained the derogated area status for parts of Scotland until a comprehensive affordable collection service is available in the area.
  
  
• Photosensitisation Survey
  
  NFUS launched a survey to assess the spread and impact of photosensitisation or Yellowses.   The initial results have shown that the disease is causing significant losses in some areas.   We will be using the results to stimulate further work into the condition.
  
  
• Cypermethrin Suspension
  
  NFUS has been pressing for the re-instatement of the marketing authorisation for cypermethrin based sheep dips.   To persuade the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) that well managed dipping with cypermethrin dips does not pose a threat to the environment we have been recruiting a small sample of farmers who will allow SEPA to monitor their use of cypermethrin.
  
  
• FMD Compensation
  
  NFUS convinced the Scottish Government to pay compensation to sheep farmers for some of the financial loss they experienced as a result of the 2007 FMD outbreak at Pirbright. This compensation package equated to £6 per eligible ewe and an overall spend of £19 million.
  

June 2008

Download in a PDF format (You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader.  If you do not already have it on your computer, click here to download it for free).

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