Archived News

13th October 2007

Almost every day now there seem to be two or three revised licenses on the DEFRA website and welcome regulations such as allowing the export of meat to other member states from Scotland, Wales and parts of north and southwest England.  It feels as though we are progressing in the right direction now.

There is the intention to lift the Foot and Mouth Protection Zone (the inner zone) on Wednesday 17th October, just leaving the Surveillance Zone in place.  The SZ (outer zone) will remain in place at least until 5th November. The intense testing of livestock inside the PZ must have been completed, whilst blood samples continue to be taken from cattle within the SZ. They also intend to lift all movement restrictions in England outside the FMD Risk area at the same time.

The FMD Risk Area may change in size and movement restrictions are under constant review so we are hopeful that business can soon begin to get back to normal, subject of course to Bluetongue restrictions, which we lie within ! This time the inner zone is known as the Bluetongue Control Zone and the outer zone is known as the Protection Zone. There are 37 confirmed cases of Bluetongue disease to date and this is definitely expected to increase. Back