Press Release - Too many movement cards missing for fallen cattle over 48 months old

Too many movement cards missing for fallen cattle over 48 months old.

Defra’s endemic diseases department has reported that an unacceptably high number of movement cards for fallen cattle over 48 months old are not being submitted to sampling sites along with the carcases, the National Beef Association has warned,
Which means the Veterinary Laboratories Agency is relying solely on the sample submission form to identify animals - and as a result it has not been possible to trace a number of fallen cattle through the BCMS database.
“This is why many keepers have already received warning letters about the consequences of failing to submit eligible dead cattle for BSE testing and unless the industry reacts it is inevitable there will be many more,” explained NBA director, Kim Haywood.
“Cattle owners should remember that the free collection service for fallen cattle aged over 24 months ended on January 10th and since then they have been required to leave a movement card, taken from the passport, with the carcase when despatching fallen cattle over 48 months old to sample sites for testing.”
“It is also important that they also stick their holding’s barcode label on the card otherwise problems caused by not testing poorly identified older cattle for BSE will continue to mount and the backlog will present difficulties for everyone involved.”

For more information contact:
Kim Haywood, NBA director.  Tel. 0131 336 1754