THE widely-criticised 20-day livestock standstill rules - brought in 16-months ago after foot-and-mouth ravaged farms - are expected to be modified by March, it emerged this week.

Farming industry representatives and DEFRA officials met in London on Wednesday to discuss changes to the regulations which dictate movements of certain livestock, reports Ellis Butcher.

Although DEFRA will not make an announcement until reports have been finished, proposed modifications discussed include the 20-day standstill staying in place but with wider exemptions for different categories of livestock.

The other alter-native on the table is cutting 14 days from the quarantine ruling to have a reduced standstill period of just six days,

Cumbria NFU chairman Will Cockbain stressed that, although there has been no official announcement, he understands that any changes could be implemented by the end of February.

Mr Cockbain said: "DEFRA has not made a final decision yet because it has not finalised the cost benefit analysis of how much the 20-day standstill is costing the industry and the risks of reducing it.

"It will not be a permanent change, but another set of interim changes. We are disappointed they have not completed the cost benefit analysis and the risk assessment work, bearing in mind the timescale since the disease left the country.

"But we are pleased DEFRA has realised the impract-icalities of the current 20-day standstill and is looking to make changes. It is heading in the right direction but it is taking what we consider to be an unrealistic timescale. Either way there will be changes."

The existing rules require the adoption of rigid bio-security controls at livestock markets, vehicle cleansing and disinfection regulations, as well as the licensing of livestock movements, the recording of sheep movements and a ban on swill feeding.

Farmers have complained that the rules are incompatible with trading conditions, are not readily understood and are not capable of being effectively enforced.

The NFU said this week that there was also resentment among farmers that, unlike other countries, such as the USA and New Zealand, the Govern-ment did not appear to have been quite so strict about rules concerning the importation of foreign meat into the UK.

Mr Cockbain added: "There has been a growing amount of frustration at the way things are going. The fact we are making progress and there is going to be a relaxation one way or another, will please farmers."

He added that the NFU would have preferred a permanent decision to have been made before late spring when movements on and off farms increase.

The meeting on Wednesday followed on from peaceful demonstrations at DEFRA divisional veterinary offices nationwide last Friday, which saw farming leaders hand over letters setting out alternatives to the 20-day rule.

In Carlisle, around 25 farmers rallied outside the DEFRA offices at Rose Hill and a letter was presented to divisional veterinary manager Andrew Heyward, who met Mr Cockbain and NFU reps.

Speaking after the event, Mr Cockbain said: "We cannot be held to ransom over the prospect of another foot-and-mouth outbreak. Sensible precautions, proportionate to the risk are what is needed."

January 17, 2003 10:32