According to the Farmers Guardian movements are going to be allowed from Jan up until march 2008 out of restricted zones into free area's
It appears that anyone wishing to move animals will have to blood test them, thats the good news, the bad news is you will have to pay for the tests.
According to the F.G if you go for the ELISA blood test which Defra says costs approx £3 per animals you must wait 28days before you can have the test? However if you pay approx £15 per animals you will only have to wait 14 days. Results on both tests are expected to take around 4 days.
however I have just had a look and nothing of any use has been posted yet.
It doesn't explain how long the test if neg is valid for so I guess if you wish to move anything to a bull in the free zone and then back home again you have a short window of opportunity if you go for the £3 option you won't be able to move it before the end of jan and if the restrictions come back on in Mar who knows.
I also expect anyone wishing to move animals will have to pay their vet to take the blood samples, as I don't expect they will do them FOC
Maybe Duncan can shed more light on this saga.
One thing about this Gov they sure don't make things easy unless you wish to import from abroad!!!!!
I can't say I am filled with confidence in the proposals for movements, during what is termed as a "Vector free period". This period is I think largely determined by temperature, but how and where the temperature is measured I don't know. The significance of 8th of January is that that marks a certain critical period after the "Vector free period" began, some time before Christmas. The fact that we have had clouds of insects around our outside light at the front door for several nights since the period began worries me somewhat.
I am also very concerned at the Middlesborough (2?) Worcester (20?) and Kirkcubright (1?) imprted animals which have subsequently tested positive and been slaughterd without too much publicity.
It may well be that in the longer term the whole country will end up being affected, but until vaccine is available then I think it is very important to try to confine the disease as much as possible. It seems likely that next year we will see many more cases in the areas already affected and it would be a shame if that is spread wider before protection can be offered.
I have had a brief communication from DEFRA on the subject but not to hand at the moment as it is in the surgery. I will try to get the chance to read it again tomorrow and post any thoughts.
Duncan
Duncan MacIntyre
Burnside Dexters 00316
Burnside
Ascog
Isle of Bute
