Expert bovine TB vet speaks at seminar
Bovine Tuberculosis and Politics is being organised jointly by the South Hams Agriculture Forum and the Small Farms Association, and will take place at Follaton House at 6.30pm.
Admission is free, but anyone wishing to attend should contact Carol Trant on 01803 861267 to obtain a ticket.
THE Livestock Auctioneers' Association has expressed grave concerns about the slow uptake of electronic slaughter tags by sheep farmers, and it is urging producers to think carefully about which tags they buy.
This follows new figures released showing that 44 per cent of all the tags ordered last month were non-EID slaughter tags, despite the evidence provided by the LAA to support the use of the electronic slaughter tag.
"If farmers don't use electronic slaughter tags this year, it will restrict the number of people who are prepared to buy their sheep," LAA secretary Chris Dodds warned.
"We are advising producers that all their sheep should be tagged with electronic slaughter tags. We appreciate that these tags cost about 50p more than a single manual one, but the benefits to the industry in enabling some 30 per cent of the marketplace to remain in business massively outweigh this cost.
"While auctioneers will still sell sheep that are presented with manual ear tags during this transition period, we have to point out that it will restrict marketing opportunities, and we hope that farmers thinking about ordering their 2010 tag stocks will talk to their local auctioneer first."
BUILDING work has now started on Cutcombe Market at Wheddon Cross for Exmoor Farmers Livestock Auctions Ltd.
The project involves complete renewal of the sale ring, office and penning for the market, which is a central point for livestock sales on Exmoor.
Work is well under way, with the foundations already in for the office and sale ring building, and it is hoped that by the end of the summer the new facilities will be fully in place and operating.
Exmoor Farmers will continue to run Blackmoor Gate Market on its normal full sale schedule. and will also be carrying further improvements to penning at that site.
Peter Huntley, auctioneer for both markets, said: "It will indeed be a tremendous boost for the livestock industry of Exmoor to have these new facilities."
