LMU Project
A joint partnership between Government and industry has begun visiting farms across England and Wales to look at ways that could potentially reduce the regulatory burden for livestock farmers.
Working together as the Livestock Partnership, the representatives will visit 100 farms to look at how the identification and tracing process can be simplified.
This follows on from the Madders Review of Livestock Movement Controls (2006) which recommended a new way of identifying and grouping land, making livestock reporting rules easier to understand.
The review recommended replacing CPH numbers with Livestock Movement Units (LMUs) – one or more land parcel or building under the same management and control and with the same epidemiological risk.
Manda Vince of Livestock Partnership explained: “We need to ensure that these proposals allow livestock keepers to operate effectively whilst also meeting government requirements around livestock movements. We also need to understand the costs for both Government and industry of proposed changes before any decisions are made on implementation. This field study, and other work, will allow all parts of the Partnership to be confident that impacts are understood and ensure that the right decisions are made for the future.”
Dylan Morgan, NFU Chief Livestock Adviser said: “The NFU fully supports this project and current field study; LMUs have the potential to bring about simplifications to movement reporting within farm businesses which should result in a significant reduction to the regulatory burden facing livestock farmers in England and Wales.”
The visits are expected to be completed by mid to end July 2008.
Further information email the LP team at livestockpartnership@animalhealth.gsi.gov.uk
Page last modified: 01 July 2008
Page published: 01 July 2008