IT was with a good dose of trepidation last Friday that the Malton auctioneers' team met the DEFRA vet who has been appointed to inspect markets in our area to see if they meet the new standards for licence.

Thankfully we have not been allocated one of the young zealots, who appear not to have a stake in the industry, but instead the lady vet was one of the old school, well versed in countryside ways and well aware of the impracticality of the new rules which still leave much to interpretation.

At the end of the tour of inspection, we were relieved and encouraged by DEFRA's attitude.

To start with we are going to concentrate on the cattle shed, which is probably nearest to compliance, and some of the works to be done in preparation are listed:

<bullet/> All the metal surfaces have either to be galvanised or painted.

<bullet/> All the wood has to be removed from the grading race and elsewhere.

<bullet/> The docks have to be made more secure.

<bullet/> We have to provide washing and disinfection facilities for staff and visitors alike.

<bullet/> There also has to be an area set aside for incoming vehicles to be registered, inspected and disinfected.

As far as the cattle shed is concerned, all the above seems attainable within an acceptable budget but we have yet to face the challenge of the sheep and pig sheds.

I apologise if this sounds like crisis management but the application form to get our licence only came out on Tuesday with Lord Whitty grandly announcing that markets would be free to open theoretically from next week onwards.

The reality is that we do not foresee any market in the county being able to operate for the next week or two until the inspection procedures are complete and the formal licence is in place. Perhaps the week commencing February 25 would be a better target.

Our main concern is the Government's attitude to the 20-day standstill rule which has been approached very differently in Scotland.

Over the border they have classified markets as either slaughter or store cattle markets and in some cases joint status.

However, in England DEFRA has at the moment labelled all markets as having both fat and store status.

This has very serious implications for us in that animals going to slaughter are not normally affected by the 20-day standstill rule. However, under current interpretation, if you have brought onto your farm within the last 20 days susceptible animals in England, you cannot take any more stock to a store market until the expiry of the standstill period.

By refusing to separate stores from fat, DEFRA has effectively prevented the immediate opening of live markets and this we will have to change.

Oh why can't the English be more like the Scots!

Our Highland brothers are being granted a gradual easing of restrictions by their Parliament and on March 18 the standstill will only apply to the individual cattle brought onto the farm and on May 18 the same will apply to sheep.

There seems little doubt in everyone else's minds that the failure to control imported meat by the Government has led directly to this series of catastrophic disasters we have experienced in farming over the past few years.

After the 1967 foot and mouth outbreak, the Northumberland report stressed the importance of stronger policing at the ports but resources are pathetically small and meat is still today getting through.

A spot check on a plane landing at Gatwick from Africa found that all 110 passengers were carrying illegal meat products and a total of 1200 kg of meat was seized on that occasion.

Last year 5 tonnes of illegal meat was concealed in suitcases at Heathrow from Lagos; and this is but a drop in the ocean.

For less than the cost of a couple of days culling, airports could install the detection systems necessary to halt this filthy business. They do it in United States, Canada and Australia - so why not here?

It's an absolute scandal that the Government has not even shown the slightest inclination to address the question of import control seriously, and until they do I really do fear for our future.

After 20 years of continuous growth in the red meat market share, the multiples' slice of the cake has stabilised at 70pc and it hasn't increased for the past 52 weeks.

Conversely, the butchers' share of the market declined by 1pc to 19pc in 2001 despite a further 400 independents closing down.

It is a sobering thought that the top five supermarkets sell 60pc of the red meat consumed in this country and that this has been achieved at the expense of British agriculture.

I applaud the words of Princess Anne: "Hypocrisy is not too strong a word to apply. We need to say to supermarkets and consumers that they are not always right and if they want standards in this country they must apply those standards to food from other countries."

This week's miscellaneous snippets include the following:

<bullet/> The international body for disease control has declared the UK officially free of FMD. It's a pity that the EU is dragging its feet in releasing us from the shackles of disease control which still remain in place.

<bullet/> My ever-vigilant Ryton correspondent has unearthed a £2m project to research a safer, greener alternative to existing feed additives such as antibiotics. The famous Rowett Research Institute at Aberdeen is screening some 500 plants to make livestock production more efficient and welfare friendly.

Apparently, thyme is flavour of the bovine month, having a beneficial effect on bacteria in the cow's rumen.

In the future we are told to look forward to better scented pats!

<bullet/> Don't forget the seminar next Wednesday, February 13, which promises to be an interesting day. It is entitled 'Farming - Which Way Forward?' and takes place at Ryedale Indoor Bowls Club in Norton. Any late bookers please contact Linda Bower, Garth Cottage, Wintringham, Malton YO17 8HX or telephone (01944) 75837.

The prospect of reopening markets is a great encouragement but we shall keep this marketing service going in its widest sense.

For this week the trade across the species is very fickle.

In the cattle section, meat is not easy to sell in the shops and yet cattle numbers are scarce, and for this reason alone prices are being maintained.

Quality handy-weight cattle are especially short with 'R' grade carcasses now running from 170p up to 180p/kilo. Clean cattle are more easily sold than bulls but even these have been in demand this week. The breaking-up meat has not improved markedly as this seems to be competing with imports.

The sheep market has been lifted by the prospect of export with prices rising to around 220p/kilo. However, this last day or so a little resistance has been creeping in which may bring it back 1p or 2p.

Cull ewes are still a very bright trade and if you have any to sell now is the time to do it in the face of another religious festival at the end of the month, I believe.

Pigs are the one bleak spot and imports are again doing all the damage. I have heard of Irish loins being offered at 30p/kilo less than we can produce them at in the UK. Pigs of any weight are difficult to place and prices range from 85-95p/kilo with the odd liveweight gilts managing to break 100p.

Help us to help you and phone our help lines at Malton on (01653) 697820/692151 and York on (01904) 489731.

Updated: 10:23 Thursday, February 07, 2002