Thursday, September 09, 2010

TB tests and Cross Compliance.

As part of cross compliance for EU payments, all UK farmers must TB test cattle when Defra instruct them to. If they fail to comply, then initially herd restrictions are invoked, preventing any movements on or off the holding. Animal Health officers may also go in and test the cattle themselves, and could possibly invoice the farmer for the test.

Penalties may be applied to any EU environmental payments due, as a breach of 'cross compliance'.

Today the Welsh Assembly Government enforced an overdue test on a farm in Chirk, near Wrexham, NE Wales. And in an ugly outcome to this, three cattle were shot.

Full report is in the Wrexham Leader, which describes:
One woman, who did not want to be identified, said: “It was a big operation with police and other official looking people taking part. There were two to three quad bikes and several Land Rovers around.”

A spokesman for North Wales Police said: “We attended on the execution of a warrant. Officers were working with trading standards.”
With rifles?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't get your drift -

"With Rifles?"

Does it matter what weapon was used?

Perhaps they should have shot the farmer for being so daft?

Matthew said...

Anon 5.14

Agree. And we have absolutely no sympathy for anyone who doesn't comply with testing. This chap would have had several layers of warnings over months.

That said, for the test 'enforcers' to turn up in the numbers they did, and with the kit that was pictured, was arguably ever going to spook a few animals.

Just our cynical twist. Did the enforcers have rifles at the ready?
Dunno and a lot more to this than has emerged yet we suspect.

The price for 'someone' making a point - whatever that point was - that some cattle had to be shot.

Anonymous said...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-12732054

Same farm?

Matthew said...

From the pic in the Wrexham paper, it looks as if the Google arrow is in the same place.
No idea to the background on this.

Anonymous said...

Ley Farm Chirk according to Daily Mail