BBC E-mail: Records warning on farm disease

2 messages

Originally from: frances fish

Frances saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.

Message
What a colossal cheek. The cattle movement records are an absolute shambles, cattle are on the record that have been dead for years, our highlanders were classified as Holstein, the list goes on and on and farmers are always blamed for any errors that come to light ! I say, people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. What was it they were saying about poor communication ? Who was it that asked the question, "What sex is your bull ?" Who wanted to know why a farmer needed to move his bull to his cows ? Isn't education a marvellous thing, it must be devastating not to have it, but what you have never had, you'll never miss, as they say ? To listen to those that know is the first step. Secondly to take on board the information. Then, and only then, can you act. When will we even get to first base with this shower ?
They could not even organise a booze-up in a brewery !
Frances

Records warning on farm disease
Poor record keeping could be hampering efforts to protect against farm diseases, warns a spending watchdog.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi/uk politics/3262437.stm >

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Originally from: mona parr

Identifying and Tracking Livestock in England

HC 1144 2002–2003
12 November 2003
ISBN: 0102923574
Price: £10.75
<A HREF="http://www.nao.gov.uk/publications/nao reports/02–03/02031144.pdf">Full Report</A> (1.64 MB) <A HREF="http://www.nao.gov.uk/publications/nao reports/02–03/02031144es.pdf">Executive Summary</A> (248 KB)

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affair's systems for identifying and tracking the 25 million cattle, sheep and pigs in England have achieved their initial objectives, according to the National Audit Office. More could be done, however, to realise other potential benefits from the systems and reduce costs. Defra's plans for updating its identification and tracking systems are ambitious, but steps are being taken to manage the risks; and, if successful, updating the systems offers valuable benefits.

Identifying and tracking livestock help to safeguard human and animal health, assist control of farming subsidies and improve the farming industry's commercial performance. The Department's Cattle Tracing System, which tracks the movements of individual cattle throughout Great Britain, has helped to protect the public from BSE, for example, by helping to check the age of animals slaughtered for human consumption. The Animal Movements Licensing System, introduced following the 2001 outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease, has not been tested by a serious disease outbreak, but the industry considers it robust and to have improved the tracking of sheep and pigs.

According to today's report to Parliament, there are a number of obstacles to obtaining greater benefits, as follows.

There are inaccuracies in the information reported: for example, a quarter of postal applications for cattle passports include an error and movement records are incomplete for one in eight animals, with the result that the current location of two per cent of cattle is uncertain.
Movement information is not fully up to date, because the deadlines for reporting are not always respected and because most are still reported by post. For example, a fifth of cattle movements are notified after the 3 day deadline and around five per cent are reported over five weeks late.
There are increased costs to the government of at least £15 million a year as a result of the inaccuracy of information reported and keepers' continued reliance on postal or e-mail notification. Defra is responding to these concerns and is encouraging keepers to make greater use of electronic methods of notification, especially the internet service CTS Online, which can check information before it is allowed on the Cattle Tracing System.

The Department is modernising the Cattle Tracing System because new and better systems are needed to achieve planned economies in subsidy administration, to improve reliability and access to livestock information, and to support other key initiatives. Further investment in the Animal Movements Licensing System may be needed as a result of a draft Regulation published in December 2002 by the European Commission to require recording of the movements of individual sheep.

Defra plans to manage change to its systems in a £136 million 'Livestock Identification and Tracing Programme', culminating in the bringing together into a single Livestock Register of information currently held in separate livestock tracking, veterinary and subsidy computer systems. It would also provide scope for the introduction of electronic methods of identifying animals. The successful implementation of the programme presents significant challenges but the Department has strengthened the governance of the programme to manage the key risks- principally by establishing a high-level design authority to coordinate strategic decisions. Uncertainties include whether there will be sufficient take-up of e-services by farmers; and technical challenges, such as developing robust electronic identification systems for working farms and markets. In addition, both the Department and many in farming do not see the European Commission's December 2002 proposals as practicable.

The NAO's recommendations include providing and promoting easy to use electronic methods of reporting; setting targets for cleaning up data; and working with the industry to reduce errors in the information sent in by farmers. In developing and implementing the Livestock Identification and Tracing Programme, action should include distinguishing in the business case between minimum requirements and additional facilities; continuing to involve industry stakeholders in the design and governance arrangements; and reviewing local authorities' responsibility for enforcing movement and animal health regulations.

Commenting on the report, head of the National Audit Office Sir John Bourn said today:

"Information on the movement of animals around the country is of vital importance in the fight to prevent the spread of animal disease, all the more so when there is a serious outbreak. It is also vital to consumers confidence in the food that they eat. The animal identification and tracking systems in place at present have helped to protect public health but both systems are in need of improvement.

"For both of its current systems and in the implementation of its new Livestock Identification and Tracing Programme, Defra should work with the livestock industry to improve levels of data accuracy and encourage the use of online methods of communicating information."

Notes for Editors

Identifying the 25 million cattle, sheep and pigs in England and tracking their movements costs taxpayers and farming around £55 million a year equivalent to just over £2 an animal. There are two main systems:

The Cattle Tracing System, operated by the British Cattle Movement Service
(BCMS), which is part of the Department's Rural Payment Agency (RPA). It
records cattle identities and the movements of individual animals for the whole of
Great Britain. The Service also issues 'passports' for each animal.
The Animal Movements Licensing System, operated by local authorities. It
records on a batch basis most movements of sheep and pigs in England and Wales.
It also records cattle movements via a link with the Cattle Tracing System.

Press notices and reports are available from the date of publication on the NAO website at www.nao.gov.uk. Hard copies can be obtained from The Stationery Office on 0845 702 3474.

The Comptroller and Auditor General, Sir John Bourn, is the head of the National Audit Office which employs some 800 staff. He and the NAO are totally independent of Government. He certifies the accounts of all Government departments and a wide range of other public sector bodies; and he has statutory authority to report to Parliament on the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which departments and other bodies have used their resources.

Press Notice 68/03
All enquiries to Barry Lester, NAO Press Office: Tel: 020 7798 7937 Mobile: 07748 181692

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