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Livestock hauliers claim for equality with farmers
Page 11
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• Livestock hauliers are demanding to be given the same rights as farmers moving animals less than 10km, after the announcement that the 20day standstill rule restricting livestock movements is to be lifted.
Currently hauliers are required to disinfect their vehicles after moving stock these short distances while farmers can make the same movements unhindered.
The Road Haulage Association's head of the livestock division, Roger Wrapson, says the government should end this anomaly at the same time as the 20-day restrictions are lifted.
"It's crazy that one group can move animals without disinfecting while others have to—it just doesn't make sense," he says.
Meanwhile, from 4 March, farmers and hauliers will only be required to keep stock in situ for six days rather than the 20 imposed following the outbreak of foot and mouth.
Ministers were advised that it was preferable to reduce risk of livestock disease by having a strict six-day standstill rather than a 20-day stoppage with exemptions.
DEFRA minister Lord Whitty says the government reserves the right to extend the standstill back to 20 days if there is an increased disease risk to Britain's livestock industry.
Livestock auction markets will have to sign an undertaking to operate strictly within new guidelines. And there will be a consultation on proposals to ban the practice of keeping livestock on market premises overnight.
The government will continue to monitor the situation and the new regime will be reviewed at the end of May, it says.