UFU members are playing a direct role in the ongoing Better Regulation Review. The UFU's Cut It Out campaign highlighted the need for farming red tape to be reduced and targets have now be set to reduce bureaucracy by 25%.
The Union has been in regular dialogue with the Independent panel looking at red tape and our policy committee staff and members are now looking in detail at areas such as cattle ID, registration and movement; and welfare of farmed animals legislatio
n. Our aim is to put forward practical ideas on behalf of members which will make farmers genuinely feel that there has been a reduction in red tape.
Some of the thoughts coming forward from our Committee members include:
o Allocation of new eartag numbers to a keeper: There is a general feeling that any changes to eartag requirements usually leads to farmers having to bin significant quantities of old tags which adds to the burden - earlier notification of any planned changes is recommended as is sufficient period to use up old stocks.
o Birth Notifications: A common occurrence seems to be when MC1s are submitted to DARD with a list of calf births, one or more of these could be missed by DARD admin staff in the transfer onto APHIS. The process for rectifying mistakes in this and the registration of the sex of a calf needs simplified.
o Notification of movement of cattle: There is a general view that the confirmation process involving the MC2 and sticker book had outlived any useful value. Animals are usually checked and confirmed out of the market into the purchasers herd so why duplicate the process. Introduction of EID in cattle could greatly help reduce the admin burden of animal movements.
o Recording movements in a herd book: Herd book record and APHIS could be better standardised so that both were in the same order and format.
o Replacing tags: Animals moving direct to slaughter should only require one official ear tag (providing the cattle had been double tagged throughout life and had lost the second tag in last premise before slaughter). No animals should be allowed to be binned at a meat plant for a simple IRM query.
o CIIs: Cattle Identification Inspections should be better co-ordinated such that they are undertaken with scheduled herd tests for TB or Brucellosis.
o Natal herd inspections: These inspections of natal herd keepers records are usually triggered by the presentation for slaughter of under thirty month cattle with more than 4 permanent teeth. The checking of cattle teeth prior to slaughter is a dangerous activity and the general view was that we should be looking for a review of this procedure in advance of BSE testing changes which are likely come into effect from early next year (the testing age for food chain cattle could rise from the current 30 months to 42 months).
Welfare of Farmed Animals
o Welfare codes - requesting a copy: Not all DVOs or county offices were reported to be willing to send copies of new livestock welfare codes out to farmers upon telephone request. Some insisted that they were picked up in person which adds to the admin burden. Farmers are required to have hard copies of these codes at times of inspection.
o Record keeping - medical treatments: This record keeping cost is grossly underestimated. The detail required in the veterinary medicines record was considered too onerous and unnecessary especially the recording of batch numbers and withdrawal periods. The record for all practical purposes should only require the drug used, the animal/s treated, and the date of administration.
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