More FMD restrictions relaxed
Farmers were able to move calving cows under certain conditions from Saturday 18 August 2007 in a further relaxation of Foot & Mouth Disease movement restrictions
After extensive discussions with industry representatives, on Friday evening, 17 August, Defra's Chief Veterinary Officer Debby Reynolds issued a new movement licence to help resolve animal welfare issues that have arisen in the dairy sector during the current Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak.
The new licence will allow bovines around the time of calving (and their calves) to be moved up to 50km under strict conditions of biosecurity and following a veterinary assessment of their welfare and freedom from Foot and Mouth Disease.
Moving the bovines will be possible only if there have been no movements of Foot and Mouth-susceptible animals for the previous 20 days onto that site.This will apply throughout England with the exception of in the Protection and Surveillance Zones in Surrey.Information on the latest situation on the Food and Mouth Disease outbreak can be found on the Defra website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/footandmouth
