- Location
- Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Hi everyone
Many of you will recall @Frank-the-Wool 's thread regarding impending new livestock transport regulations. Originally dressed up for the general public as a "ban on live exports" in fact had much wider proposals and implications
thefarmingforum.co.uk
DEFRA called for evidence with an extended deadline to February 2021 and promised full industry consultation before they reached any conclusions. The call for evidence was pre-loaded with many worrying assumptions (our suspicion at the time was by NGO's).
Then in August 2021 and without any industry consultation DEFRA announced their intentions with regard to future legislation - to be implemented in 2023
After considerable kick back by the NFU and others, DEFRA has now agreed to take on board industry data and review the science behind some of their new proposals
This IS the time for every working farmer and livestock transporter to respond. Already there are livestock hauliers assisting with on-board temperature sensors getting real time data
The NFU are compiling a formal scientific response and they need all of us to assist by completing a quick survey to assess what / how you do things now and the impact these regulations will have on you and the animals in your care
I would urge everyone to assist in this anonymous survey
Some of the original suggestions have not been carried forward in the DEFRA statement in August; spatial capacity algorithms for example
The main points at issue right now appear to be:
1. Headroom for cattle and sheep to be 20cm above the naturally held head position, 9cm for pigs. I would suggest most Ifor type trailers with decks will no longer be able to carry two decks of sheep. Artic trailers with standard 4/2 sheep / cattle composition with fixed mid deck will be unable to carry either species
2. DEFRA are considering "neutral time" at markets or collection centres and the onward truck journey to be all part of the maximum journey time from when the first animal is loaded at your farm. This could seriously jeopardise any routes to market / buyers willing to comply.
3. DEFRA are still considering prohibiting the transport of animals where the ambient temperature is outside of the 0-30 degree window:
A: Prohibit livestock journeys above 65km but less than 8 hours if the external temp is above 30c.
B: For livestock journeys over 8 hours prohibit journeys if the external temp is below 0c and above 25c unless the vehicle can thermoregulate its internal temp.
4. Various other restrictions such as restricting "calves" up to 9 months of age from travelling for more than 9 hours. At the older age this could encompass suckler calves (remember point 2 about neutral time) and also reared dairy bred calves
In the light of this (and it's anonymous) I'd implore everyone to respond. I phrased many of the questions, it's a sort of multiple choice for speed but where there is a free field for more explanation please consider what I've written above and supply as much information / implications to your operation as you can.
The survey doesn't come to me it goes to a scientific researcher resourced by the NFU
forms.office.com
BIG thanks in advance
Many of you will recall @Frank-the-Wool 's thread regarding impending new livestock transport regulations. Originally dressed up for the general public as a "ban on live exports" in fact had much wider proposals and implications
Announcement Tomorrow on Banning Live Exports and More Restrictions On Domestic Journeys
Tomorrow there will be an announcement of the start of an eight week consultation on Live exports and all journey times for livestock. While this was flagged up by George "Useless" it is no surprise that another difficult issue is being put into the melting pot with our supposed leaving the EU...
thefarmingforum.co.uk
DEFRA called for evidence with an extended deadline to February 2021 and promised full industry consultation before they reached any conclusions. The call for evidence was pre-loaded with many worrying assumptions (our suspicion at the time was by NGO's).
Then in August 2021 and without any industry consultation DEFRA announced their intentions with regard to future legislation - to be implemented in 2023
After considerable kick back by the NFU and others, DEFRA has now agreed to take on board industry data and review the science behind some of their new proposals
This IS the time for every working farmer and livestock transporter to respond. Already there are livestock hauliers assisting with on-board temperature sensors getting real time data
The NFU are compiling a formal scientific response and they need all of us to assist by completing a quick survey to assess what / how you do things now and the impact these regulations will have on you and the animals in your care
I would urge everyone to assist in this anonymous survey
Some of the original suggestions have not been carried forward in the DEFRA statement in August; spatial capacity algorithms for example
The main points at issue right now appear to be:
1. Headroom for cattle and sheep to be 20cm above the naturally held head position, 9cm for pigs. I would suggest most Ifor type trailers with decks will no longer be able to carry two decks of sheep. Artic trailers with standard 4/2 sheep / cattle composition with fixed mid deck will be unable to carry either species
2. DEFRA are considering "neutral time" at markets or collection centres and the onward truck journey to be all part of the maximum journey time from when the first animal is loaded at your farm. This could seriously jeopardise any routes to market / buyers willing to comply.
3. DEFRA are still considering prohibiting the transport of animals where the ambient temperature is outside of the 0-30 degree window:
A: Prohibit livestock journeys above 65km but less than 8 hours if the external temp is above 30c.
B: For livestock journeys over 8 hours prohibit journeys if the external temp is below 0c and above 25c unless the vehicle can thermoregulate its internal temp.
4. Various other restrictions such as restricting "calves" up to 9 months of age from travelling for more than 9 hours. At the older age this could encompass suckler calves (remember point 2 about neutral time) and also reared dairy bred calves
In the light of this (and it's anonymous) I'd implore everyone to respond. I phrased many of the questions, it's a sort of multiple choice for speed but where there is a free field for more explanation please consider what I've written above and supply as much information / implications to your operation as you can.
The survey doesn't come to me it goes to a scientific researcher resourced by the NFU
Microsoft Forms
forms.office.com
BIG thanks in advance
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