The Minister said that last year’s consultation examined the potential for developing a longer term cost sharing strategy for animal diseases, and also explored sharing more responsibility between government and industry through the creation of an administrative board for animal health and welfare. It also made five specific proposals in respect of certain BSE and scrapie activities.
The Minister said: “I have decided not to progress at this time the longer term cost sharing strategy for animal diseases. In coming to my decision I have taken account of the views of those consultees who were not in favour of this strategy. I have also decided not to progress responsibility sharing through an administrative board. However, over the coming months, I want to enhance the current partnership working arrangements that we have in place with stakeholders.
“Turning to the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSE) proposals, I know the financial pressures facing the farming community and would like to be able to set all these proposals aside. However that is not possible. In the comprehensive spending review over £2.6million was removed from this year’s TSE budget, so I must take action to ensure the Department operates within its budget.
“From 1 October, I propose that the free collection and disposal service for cattle over 48 months that die or have been killed on farm, will end. In this instance to help industry, £240,000 would be made available this financial year to the National Fallen Stock Company for these cattle. My Department would also continue to pay for BSE sampling and testing costs.
“In these circumstances the Department would continue to fund the laboratory cost of BSE testing cattle over 48 months slaughtered for human consumption and to meet the National Reference Laboratory charges for annual inspections for the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute TSE testing laboratory.
“In addition, the Department would also continue to fully fund the Ram Genotyping Scheme in 2009 and the continued need for the scheme would be reviewed at the end of the year. Ownership of the Ram Semen Archive would pass to industry as soon as practicable.
“Whilst I accept that farmers will be disappointed with the proposal to end the free collection and disposal service, I hope they recognise that I am trying to keep these costs to an absolute minimum and to delay their introduction as long as possible. Farmers in Britain have had to meet substantially greater cost since the start of 2009 and farmers in the rest of Ireland have had to meet additional costs since April this year.
“My officials have discussed these proposals with the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee today.”
Notes to Editors:
1. DARD issued a 12 week responsibility and cost sharing consultation on 28 July 2008. Whilst the consultation was due to close on 20 October 2008, following representation from some stakeholders, it was extended to 17 November 2008. The consultation had three main elements: it explored sharing more responsibility between government and industry and outlined a possible way forward in NI through the creation of an administrative board to assist in the management of current and future policy development and delivery for animal health and welfare; it examined the scope of a longer term cost sharing strategy and mechanisms to generate revenue to re-balance the future costs of animal diseases; and it also made five specific proposals in respect of certain BSE and Scrapie related activities.
2. The EU is currently developing its Animal Health and Welfare Strategy and action plan for the period 2007 - 2013. Responsibility and cost sharing is part of this strategy and proposals are likely to emerge in 2011.
3. The TSE proposals will not affect public health. Action required under EU and national legislation when BSE is confirmed in cattle or scrapie in sheep and goats will remain unchanged.
4. In NI there were four confirmed cases in 2008 compared to 487 clinical cases of BSE in 1993. In 2008, there were three clinical cases compared with 18 cases of scrapie in 2006.
5. Since 2001, the government has arranged and funded the collection and disposal of fallen adult cattle that have required BSE testing under EU rules. The service currently costs the taxpayer about £2.9million per year in NI. The government would continue to meet the costs of taking and analysing brainstem samples for BSE.
6. DARD would provide transitional funding of £240,000 to the National Fallen Stock Company (NFSCo) until the end of this financial year to help farmers in NI adjust to paying for fallen adult cattle that require BSE testing.
7. The Ram Semen archive was established in 2004 in case valuable traits were lost through breeding for scrapie resistance. The collection of semen is now complete and it is only right that ownership of this asset should be returned to Industry.
8. Following the consultations in England, Scotland and Wales in early 2008, the following TSE proposals have been implemented right across GB:
· from 30 September 2008 all laboratories in the UK are required to pay the National Reference Laboratory for initial approval to carryout BSE testing and for annual inspections;
· from 1 January 2009 abattoirs pay for BSE testing of cattle slaughtered for human consumption;
· from 12 January 2009 farmers are required to pay for the collection and disposal of fallen cattle which require BSE testing;
· on 31 March 2009 the Ram Genotyping Scheme closed; and
· the responsibility for the sheep semen archive transferred to industry on 23 December 2008.
9. Further information is available from the DARD website www.dardni.gov.uk.
10. All media enquiries to DARD Press Office, Tel: 028 9052 4619. Out of hours, please contact the Duty Press Officer via page number 076 9971 5440 and your call will be returned.
