The UK has officially been declared by the World Animal Health Organisation (OIE) Scientific Commission as having regained Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) free status following a three month period of no further occurence of the disease. This status can only be regained where vaccination is not used. Further information is available on Defra's website.
Hilary Benn has today (19th February) issued a written Ministerial Statement giving an update on the situation with Bluetongue, Foot and Mouth Disease and Avian Influenza. To view his statement please see Defra's website.
This declaration applies from 12:00 on 19 February 2008 until it is withdrawn or amended by further declaration. Click here for details.
The RPA has commenced partial 2008 Hill Farm Allowance (HFA) payments and to date has paid 2,590 claimants. Further information is available on the RPA's website.
Following the extension to the Bluetongue Protection and Surveillance Zones last week, further cases have been confirmed by Defra following pre-movement tests. Consequently, the zones have been extended to the west to include the areas where the further cases were located which sees the Protection Zones in the East of England and London being merged, as well as the establishment of a new Protection Zone incorporating Dorset. Further information is available on Defra's website....
Further to last week's extensions of the Bluetongue Protection and Surveillance Zones, additional cases have been confirmed as a result of pre-movement testing. Please click here for further information.
Defra has today (7th February) announced that there is to be a six per cent increase in HFA payment rates for 2008. Payments are to commence this month. Further information is available on Defra's website.
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Defra has today confirmed that another two dead wild mute swans, collected on 28 January as part of wild bird surveillance in the same area in Dorset have tested positive for highly pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza. . Further information should be available in due course on the Defra website.
Lord Rooker has today (28th January) welcomed the abolition of the 10 month rule with regard to the Single Payment Scheme (SPS) following agreement at the EU Agriculture Council held earlier this week. He also confirmed that, for 2008 SPS claims onwards, 15th May will be the single day that an SPS applicant will need to have land which forms part of an SPS claim "at his disposal" in order to claim. This applies to the UK. For further information, please refer to Defra's website. Further guidance...
Defra has today confirmed that a sixth mute swan collected on 21 January as part of wild bird surveillance in the same area in Dorset has tested positive for highly pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza. Please click here for news release.
As a recent website note forecast, the Chancellor is expected to make an announcement later today on his CGT changes. Press reports point to a new initial 9% rate on the first £750,000 of gains on business assets but offer no detail on any potentially important points of definition. It seems he will press ahead in removing indexation relief on inflation gains to 1998 so that new rates will apply to all gains since acquisition, 1982 or any earlier date that may be relevant in some cases. That...
Lord Rooker has advised the House of Lords (Written Answers, 8th January 2008, col 189) that: - £63 million pounds has been paid in penalties to the EU for failing to make sufficient Single Payments in time for 2005 - £7 million has been identified as a potential penalty for subsequent payments - a provision of £348 million has been made against disallowances by the EU for breaches of rules on making payments under SPS for 2005 and 2006 as well as previous schemes....
This week's Council of Ministers meeting has agreed on the end of the ten month rule. A more detailed note is included in Members' Documents which also covers the position on cross compliance liability and taxation.
Double tagging of sheep and goats takes effect from today (11th January) which sees a requirement for any animal born on or after 11th January needing to be tagged in accordance with the new rules as well as any animal not officially identified by this date. Animals with a single tag prior to 11th January can continue to be indentified with the single tag. Double tagging also only applies to sheep and goats which are not intended for slaughter in the UK within 12 months of birth. Sheep and goats...
Defra has today confirmed Avian Influenza in three dead wild mute swans in the Chesil Beach area in Dorset, following positive test results from the Veterinary Laboratories Agency for the highly pathogenic strain of H5N1. These birds were found and tested following our routine surveillance programme. Click here for further information from Defra.
The RPA has confirmed today (9th) that 60,000 customers should have received full SPS 2007 payments which amount to in excess of £600 million. A news release can be viewed on the RPA's website.