CHAPTER FIVE: FUTURE STAGES
Declared Status
5.1 From September 2012 the two statuses may not be sufficient. We will give consideration to introducing a third category, which would be a sub-set of negative, this being " CHeCS Standard free", where the requirements of that standard have been met. This would provide a greater degree of confidence for buyers and markets.
Effect of "Not Negative" Status |
5.2 In the first stage of the mandatory phase there will be no consequences arising from a herd screening result of not-negative. However the proposals for future stages are that: 5.3 Where a herd is recorded as not-negative for BVDV, the following restrictions would apply; From 1 September 2012 5.4 Cattle from the herd can only be sold to another herd if they have been individually tested and determined to be BVDV-free shortly before sale. If cattle are not tested, or test positive for BVDV, they may only be moved direct to slaughter. From 1 September 2013 2.1 5.5 If cattle on the not-negative holding are in a field adjoining another holding registered to keep animals susceptible to BVDV, the keeper of the not-negative herd must ensure no direct contact between their cattle and cattle on the neighbouring holding. |
Cross- Border Trade
5.6 We do not intend to impede the movement of cattle into Scotland but we will have to manage the risk of BVDV being re-introduced into breeding herds which have successfully achieved negative status. One approach would be for cattle introduced from outside Scotland to be required to demonstrate equivalent health status by coming from a free herd or by individual testing. Finishing cattle of unknown BVDV status could be kept in permanent quarantine before being sent direct to slaughter but only if we can ensure that they do not put breeding cattle at risk on the holding or any neighbouring holding or at a market.
Persistently Infected ( PI) Cattle
5.7 We intend to make it an offence to knowingly sell a PI animal from 1 September 2012. This will be the subject of future consultation.
Non-breeding herds
5.8 It is not proposed that non-breeding herds, typically finishers, will be required to annually screen or declare a status from the outset. The only requirement at this stage on non-breeding herds is to require them to blood or tissue test any calves born within one month. It is proposed that non-breeding herds will be fully included from a later date, which we suggest should be 1 September 2013, when the biosecurity measures come into place for breeding herds (see Effect of Not-Negative Status above).
Bulls
5.9 It is not proposed to include from the outset bulls whose farm of origin is not a breeding herd. Such herds would be brought into the requirements with other non-breeding herds, on 1 September 2013.
5.10 We expect farmers of breeding herds to ensure that bulls they bring in do not pose a risk to the BVDV status of their herds.