Farmers confused at TB controls

Many farmers are still having difficulty with the complicated movement control system for cattle and deer designed to eliminate bovine tuberculosis.

Since it was introduced in 1999, the TB status cards and ear tag system has caused headaches for stock agents, transport companies, and farmers.

Stock agents say there are six to 10 incidents a week at Canterbury's main saleyards, at Agricultural Park in Christchurch, in which cattle are incorrectly tagged or documented.

Many of the problems seem to be from small-block owners, and sometimes the livestock is sent back to farms at the owners' expense.

Rural Livestock auctioneer John Honeybone said every cattle and deer farmer in New Zealand should be registered with the Animal Health Board and given a herd number.

"A lot of farmers don't know that." Farmers could telephone 0800 IDSCHEME to register.

He said all cattle and deer arriving at the saleyards needed an animal status declaration card 2002, which is the board document for TB control.

To complicate matters, freezing companies, abattoirs, and MAF all required different information.

Animal Health Board general manager Robert Isbister said some farmers might be confused at present over TB-status declaration cards, because meat companies were getting farmers to fill out different cards for each company, additional to the board's requirements.

"We've tried to get a single card, but it's fallen on deaf ears," he said.

But although some smaller farmers seemed to be failing to grasp their responsibilities for providing information, he said they quickly got the idea when animals were sent home without being put up for sale.

- NZPA