THAME Farmers Mart Ltd, which runs Thame Cattlemarket, is currently lobbying Boris Johnson MP, other local MPs to change the restrictions currently in place because of foot and mouth and blue tongue desease among farm animals, which it says is crippling the farming industry.
Currently no farm-to-farm movements of livestock are allowed throughout Oxfordshire and the other home counties, and no animals are being sold at Thame.
A letter sent out this week by Simon Draper,
Auctioneer/Director at TFM Ltd, reads:
“Dear Sir
We e-mailed your office last week to impress upon you the problems that are arising over the Foot and Mouth disease controls and the Bluetongue Protection Zone that are in place in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
“The new restrictions put in place a week ago are making it virtually impossible to sell cattle and sheep for slaughter with the Bluetongue Protection Zone. The Meat Hygiene Service state there is slaughter capacity for 2500 cattle and 8000 sheep within the 150km PZ per week, which is not even 25% of the capacity required.
“Over the next few weeks the cattle and sheep industry will grind to a standstill in these areas and huge welfare problems similar or worse to the 2001 FMD outbreak will be seen and with no welfare destruction scheme put in place by government, farmers are open to huge loses and possible prosecution.
“A lifeline to all farmers within the Bluetongue Protection Zone would be to allow cattle and sheep to travel direct to slaughter to abattoirs outside the PZ which are only too willing to take stock. These movements should be either direct from farm or through a market collection centre.
“There are only two markets in the immediate area, one in Oxfordshire (Thame) operating 1 day a week as a collection centre and one in Buckinghamshire (Winslow) which is temporarily closed, we as market operators cannot continue in such light for too long, access to these abattoirs would ease some of our problems and ease greatly the welfare issues described earlier.
“I would ask you to use any influence you may have to assist in the easing of our burden as soon as possible.”
TFM Ltd said:”We are doing everything possible to lobby government to get these regulations altered and have the full support of:
►The Livestock Auctioneers Association
►The National Beef Association
►The National Sheep Association
►British Meat Producers Association
►Assured British Meat
►Reading Animal Health
►Bucks & Oxon Trading Standards
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