Foot and mouth hardship for livestock contractors
Our livestock members have had a very difficult few weeks with their work and income put on hold. The NAAC lobbied hard to push Defra into launching a licensing scheme to get sheep work back on track but fortunately, this time, livestock contractors were not issued with a license (except in Scotland) as the restrictions were lifted before a system was introduced.
There will be many questions for Defra to answer in the following weeks, and if you feel that your business has been seriously damaged by the delays in allowing livestock contractors back on farms then please let me know the facts and figures (jill.hewitt @ naac.co.uk). If we have sufficient evidence of hardship caused, this will be submitted to Defra.