QHow many movements can an animal have and still be eligible for the QA bonus?

A The most up to date answer on this stemmed from a meeting held in May of this year between the IFA, Bord Bia, Meat Industry Ireland (MII) and mart representatives. The answer is easiest explained as the number of owners an animal can have rather than the number of movements. An animal can have four owners, regardless of the number of movements on the AIMS database, and meet the criteria for the bonus. For example, a movement of an animal to a mart sale where the animal is not sold is not counted as a change of ownership.

Q I had a store bullock at the mart last week that I purchased as a weanling directly off the farmer who bred him. When selling, there were four movements on the mart board for this animal even though he only had two owners. I queried it after the sale and was told the animal was presented at a mart twice before being sold to me. How could the movement data show up incorrectly on the board?

AIn all marts, the information displayed is taken directly from the Department’s AIMS database. You should be aware that on the AIM system a mart movement is counted as two movements (one to the mart and another from the mart). Similarly, a move to and from an Agricultural Show is counted as two movements on AIM.

For these reasons, it was decided that the number of owners and not the number of movements would be used for QPS purposes. It is important therefore to be aware of the number of owners your animal has had and raise any corrections that you feel need to be made to the auctioneer. With the quality assurance bonus increasing to 12c/kg, there is more demand in many cases for animals that will be eligible to draw down the bonus when slaughtered.

QIf I sell a finished animal through the mart, or purchase a quality assured animal for a short finishing period of 30 days for example, is he eligible to receive the quality assurance bonus?

A The in-spec criteria is that animals need to fulfil a 70 day residency period on the final holding before moving directly off the farm for slaughter. There are reports of processors paying the QPS bonus to quality assured animals traded through marts and meeting a shorter residency period but this is entirely at the discretion of the processor.

Q I have not sold heifers in the mart for a few years, can I sell year and a half old stores without blood testing for brucellosis?

A Female stock and bulls greater than 24 months of age must be within 60 days of Brucellosis testing, commonly known as a ‘blood test’, before moving off the farm for mart or farm to farm sales. Animals can go direct to slaughter without being tested for brucellosis.

Q I have good quality Belgian Blue weanlings which I am hoping to sell for export. I heard animals should be sold soon after TB testing to attract stronger exporter interest, is this the case?

AAnimals exported to an EU country need to be within 30 days of TB testing, and come from a clear herd, to be eligible for live export. This conveys a message that sellers must carry out an export test on animals before sale but this is not the case as animals purchased for export can be subsequently tested by live exporters.

The confusion arises where animals have undergone their annual TB test within 30 days of selling or are tested specially to receive an export cert. If animals fall outside 30 days since their last TB test when exporting (count the date of the test reading and date of export) they need to be retested by the exporter in their premises. However, animals cannot be retested until 42 days has elapsed since their last test and this means the exporter will have to hold the animal for longer before retesting which adds extra expense. Where animals need to be TB tested before sale, ensure it is organised so they are well within the 30-day test period on the sale date to allow animals to be exported immediately or are close to or more than 42 days since their previous test to allow exporters to retest immediately. The statutory testing requirements for animals being exported outside of the EU vary from country-to-country but generally the animals need to be TB tested within the last 365 days.

Q Can I move animals directly off my farm for slaughter that are not within their 12-month TB test?

A There is an exemption to the 12-month TB test for animals purchased into your herd after the annual herd test. It allows purchased in animals, that are between 12 and 18 months since their last TB test to be moved directly off farm for slaughter provided that your herd is within 12 months TB test. It should be noted that this can have knock-on effects for animals moving from your herd.

It will trigger a computer check by the Department of Agriculture on the status of all livestock in your herd. There are a few possible consequences depending on herd status as follows;

Where less than 20% of the cattle in your herd (including those slaughtered) have not been tested within the last 12 months, the Department will issue a letter advising you that out of test animals are eligible to move off the farm for slaughter but cannot be traded through a mart or farm to farm sales until they have been TB tested. Remaining animals, within test can be traded normally.

Where more than 20% of cattle in your herd (including those slaughtered) have not been tested within the last 12 months, the DVO will notify you that you can continue to sell animals for direct slaughter but in this case none of the animals in your herd, including those in test, can be traded through marts or farm to farm movements until your next herd test is complete. In this case, you can decide to test the out-of-date animals in your herd or bring forward the herd test for all animals. You can also get the DVO to test the animals you wish to trade.

Where animals are presented for slaughter and exceeding 18 months since their last test, they will be slaughtered but their herd will be immediately restricted. This can include further movements off farm for direct slaughter with the exception of those permitted by the DVO until the herd has completed a TB test.