Don’t get caught out on cattle – visit the RPA stand at Livestock 2012
Rural Payments Agency advisers will be on hand at Livestock 2012 to help farmers with any questions they may have about cattle identification rules.
Latest figures show that almost half the cattle identification inspections carried out so far in 2012 revealed problems with compliance. The Rural Payments Agency is keen to work with farmers to help them avoid any potential problems ahead of inspections and so help them protect their entitlement to payments. Non-compliance will impact payments made under the Single Payment Scheme along with those made under other programmes.
The Rural Payments Agency team at Livestock 2012 will include representatives from the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) who will be able to explain the process of registering stock and reporting cattle movement.
By law, cattle keepers must report all cattle movements, births and deaths. These rules are all linked to food safety and designed to safeguard public and animal health. Tracing where an animal has been enables outbreaks of disease to be kept under control.
To avoid facing penalties, farmers should keep their farm records up to date and report movements, births and deaths to the BCMS. Reporting vital information can be done quickly and easily online via the BCMS website. By law, movements must be reported to the BCMS within three days, deaths within seven days and births must be registered by the 27th day. Deaths should also be recorded in passports and the passports and any other official identification documents returned to the BCMS within seven days.
Further advice and guidance is available through the BCMS website. Alternatively, the BCMS helpline is available on 0845 0501234 or by contacting bcms-enquiries@bcms.rpa.gsi.gov.uk
Livestock 2012, incorporating the Dairy Event, runs from Tuesday 4 to Wednesday 5 September at the NEC in Birmingham. The Rural Payments Agency team can be found at stand BM233 – 237.