Farmers on the Isle of Man have been left with “uncertainty” and a “serious problem” following changes to the UK’s Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) status.
England, Wales, and Scotland have recently been recognised by the EU as having an improved BSE risk status.
However, the Isle of Man is not included in this update and is currently considered to have ‘Undetermined’ BSE risk status.
There is no Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy on island, and the Isle of Man hasn’t had a case in the 21st century.
Manx farmers are now struggling to get their cattle into UK market places due to changes of BSE status.
Uncertainty
UK abattoirs will charge an extra per kilo processing charge on any Manx stock due to the island being treated as a third country, with an unknown risk status.
A beef farmer told Manx.News that it’s left farmers with “uncertainty as a producer of where to sell stock if there is no market for them on island.
“Our route to market has effectively been taken away or will be sold at a lesser value in the UK with continued uncertainty, and no confidence or trust in IOM Meats.”
The farmer told Manx.News that cattle finishers on island are a becoming more cautious on how many cattle buy for finishing due to the uncertainty on what the future holds.
Farmers are now at a cross roads as to whether they export their livestock or have to change their entire farming practice and keep hold of the cattle, which will in turn increase feed costs which are already high due to the drought this summer.
One farmer believes there were opportunities to “sort this out” earlier and avoid putting farmers under further pressure.
Issues Facing Sector
A dairy farmer told Manx.News that the BSE changes will have a “massive” impact on Manx farmers.
Speaking to Manx.News, they said theres “absolutely no chance of live shipping or if you are going to do it, its at a massively reduced rate”.
They said it adds another hurdle for Manx farmers to access their route to market.
If farmers can no longer feasibly ship livestock to UK abattoirs, this leaves fear amongst farmers as to whether IOM Meats can process the amount of livestock.
Trust in IOM Meats
The farmer added: “A lot more stock on island is going have to go through the abattoir, and at the minute though they’ve done a really good job keeping the lead times down with no staggers, there’s no way that facility can can take the shear amount of stock that it’s going to have to.
“As for cull stock, we don’t want to ship them, we would’ve preferred to be putting them in [Isle of Man Meats] the whole time, however the price is that far different that it’s just not feasible to put them in over here.
“With another hurdle in the way, we will just have to take what we’re given.”
A Serious Problem
Questions are being raised as to how the island has missed out on being given an improved BSE status when its counterparts have.
When asked a farmer was asked why they think this has happened, they said: “I think all we can put it down to is that there’s been someone asleep at the wheel.
“From what we’ve heard, we knew changes were coming with statuses, and now to be hit with these problems is another serious challenge.”
Trade Issues
In a statement to Manx.News, the Manx National Farmers Union (MNFU) said: “We know that the CGV is currently working on the application for the Isle of Man to have the same negligible risk status as Great Britain. We do not know how long this will take.
“We have raised the impact that our trade status has on the industry for a number of years with the Minister and Department, and the risks to the industry when trade is restricted or cost of trade is too high.
“With the change in BSE negligible risk status for England, Wales and Scotland, the Isle of Man, as we understand it, will have even more restricted or severely limited trade in the UK, and this will hit Manx farms hard.”
Manx.News has contacted DEFA, DEFRA and WOAH for comment.
Manx.News has had response from WOAH who are working on accommodating our request, yet at time of publishing have had no response from DEFA.
