National Pig Association THE VOICE OF THE UK PIG INDUSTRY NPA is active on members' behalf in Brussels & Whitehall, and with processors, supermarkets & caterers - fighting for the growth and pros-perity of the UK pig industry.

It consulted on this issue last year and has now put together plans for introducing a set payment scheme for notifiable diseases in cattle, specifically bovine tuberculosis, enzootic bovine leucosis and bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Such rationalisation of compensation will speed up the removal of diseased animals from farms and provide a consistent and fair approach to compensation, says Defra.

Although it is starting with cattle (a consultation was launched yesterday) it plans in due course to include pigs, for notifiable diseases such as classical swine fever and foot and mouth.

One potentially troublesome issue, particularly in the pig sector, will be breeding stock and other high value animals. In due course long and detailed discussions will take place on this point. The route Defra may favour, if various difficulties can be resolved, is a system whereby high-value stock is pre-valued by producers, who would be responsible for keeping valuations up to date.

Once payments for all notifiable diseases have been rationalised, Defra will want to enter discussions with livestock producers on who pays what in the event of an outbreak of notifiable disease. These talks are likely to revolve around insurance cover and perhaps a new levy on producers.

Source: National Pig Association - 1st November 2004