A case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) has been confirmed on a farm in Aberdeenshire.
In line with the disease prevention response plan, precautionary movement restrictions have been put in place at the farm, while further investigations to identify the origin of the disease occur.This is standard procedure for a confirmed case of classical BSE, which does not represent a threat to human health.
Subject to a Scottish Government consultation exercise, compulsory electronic identification (EID) of cattle is due to be phased-in for Scotland over the next few years. This is anticipated to improve the speed and accuracy of traceability, hopefully paving the way for removal of paper passports. The currently proposed dates for implementation are:
This year, for the first time, ScotEID are at the Royal Highland Show, showcasing the latest research and development on the Cattle EID Pilot. The ScotEID Technical Team are demonstrating the new cattle UHF tags and readers and are on hand to answer your queries. Alongside are members from the ScotEID Information Centre to demonstrate aspects of ScotEID including sheep and pig moves, BVD and ScotMoves, and answer your questions.
Please come and visit us on 7th Avenue, next to the Sponsor Pavilion.
Scottish Government are continuing to make and publish videos to promote the BVD eradication scheme. The most recent videos explain why the check test is valuable and is worth doing correctly, and the importance of protecting pregnant cows and heifers against BVD.
BVD Videos
From the 3rd of April phase 4 of the BVD eradication scheme will be fully implemented. This will reward keepers who buy cattle responsibly, and will require anyone bringing in risky animals to test them for BVD or lose their BVD “negative” herd status.
The risky animals are:
To contact the Scottish Animal Movement Unit (SAMU) please phone Dumfries RPID (Rural Payments & Inspections Division) on 0300 244 5888 and ask for SAMU. The fax number is now 0300 244 8844. The email address remains samu@gov.scot.
Pig keepers are being reminded that it is illegal to feed kitchen scraps or catering waste to their pigs, as this may spread disease. Buying a recognised pig feed from your local agricultural merchant is the safest option. This issue is being highlighted following the spread of African Swine Fever in parts of Eastern and Central Europe this year.
For more information visit: www.gov.scot/africanswinefever
All sheep & goat keepers should have received an Inventory or Survey either by email or in the post, please complete, as soon as possible. The best way to do this is online. The link and password are in your email or printed on your form. If you are a sheep or goat keeper but haven’t received a form, please check your emails. Otherwise please contact the Scottish Government at 0300 244 9725 (ScotEID cannot issue the emails, forms or passwords).
Additional holdings and exemptions can now be renewed on your ScotMoves Home page. Login to ScotEID, select ‘ScotMoves’ and those additional holdings and exemptions that are due for renewal will be highlighted. You can click the ‘renew’ button online or contact ScotEID if you prefer. If you require to use ScotMoves for the first time this Winter please contact ScotEID to register for ScotMoves.
Due to increasing functionality, we are committed to regularly reviewing our Website Terms and Conditions and Data Protection Policy. Amongst other updates they now provide for the BSE Negligible Risk checker. The update also recognises the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that will apply in the UK from 25th May 2018 replacing the existing UK Data Protection Act 1998.