The new movement controls introduced from October 1 have been, as I predicted, virtually unworkable, being the product of the scientific rather than the practical advisory team of the Ministry.

On Monday, we held a Collection Centre at York and at least ten farmers were unable to come because their licences had not been processed by the Trading Standards Office.

This has pretty miserable implications for us in that we are trying to provide a service to farmers with relatively small lots of animals to move and the whole system is reliant upon both the goodwill of the purchasing abattoir and the compliance of the producer to meet the supplies.

As it was on Monday, we ended up with lorries leaving the market premises unfilled and the repercussions may be felt later.

It is difficult to get to the bottom of the problem that has been created but it seems to stem from a variety of new measures:

- The trading standards office has now been made responsible for issuing all movement licences, including those from farm-to-farm and this has put an enormous amount of extra pressure upon the council staff.

- This month especially is one during which vast numbers of sheep and cattle are moved around the county from breeders to feeders.

- DEFRA produced a software package which was meant to automate the issuing of these licences but I understand that this doesn't work so that currently licences are once again being issued manually.

There are going to have to be some changes and some of these I deal with in the next section of the article; but meantime the message is to start ringing the Trading Standards Office number as soon as you have a place to fill at the abattoir.

It may amuse our lay readers but it is aggravation to us to know that one particular pig producer has employed a full-time member of staff merely to keep ringing the Trading Standards Office throughout the day in order to obtain movement licences!

NEW RULES INTRODUCED

Almost before the autumn movement regime gets under way, there have been changes announced by the minister in order to combat the forecasts that farm to farm licences could take 7-12 weeks to issue!

- Sole Occupancy Licences will be available from October 8 and this should 'fast-track' the process for those farming operations which genuinely occupy different premises under the same management. All the premises must be within a 20km circle and local vets will be able to approve the licences. There will be no blood test and transport must be in approved vehicles; otherwise it looks a much simpler performance.

- Return to Flock of Origin may operate from December 3 although the details are not yet published. This is an invaluable concession as it will now allow flocks of breeding sheep and store lambs that are joisted out on other land to return to the farms from whence they came without having to go direct to the slaughter house.

- Movement Between 'High Risk' Counties is also likely to be confirmed within the next week or two which will allow limited movement up to 50km in distance between different counties.

- At Risk Counties No Longer Require Blood Testing which should again ease the pressure on the State Veterinary Service.

We need to keep watching this space although I have to say the announcements through the press office are swifter than the updating of the ministry website!

'D' DAY FOR SHEEP VIDEO SALE

Today (Thursday) at 10am sees the start of the first sheep auction in the county at Malton Rugby Club and by the time most of you will have read the Gazette, Charlie Breese, Keith Warters and the rest of the team will know whether their efforts have been worthwhile.

I will give a full report next week but suffice it to say for now that the main reaction of farmer clients involved in the sale has been gratitude that someone is trying to do something to help.

Even if you don't feel able to bid at the sale and want some breeding sheep or rams please give us a ring and I am sure we will be able help.

TALES FROM THE UNDERGROWTH

I am afraid three of this week's stories reflect the quite unreasonable stress being put on our local trading standards office, which is forced to recruit new unfamiliar staff to work long hours; and clearly they cannot provide an acceptable movement service for livestock.

- One of the farmers wishing to send stock to York last Monday started ringing for his licence seven days earlier and continued right through the week without ever getting a response from the North Yorkshire office.

- At the request of another farmer who had been frustrated with his licence, I rang Northallerton to be told that I didn't know what I was talking about and the phone was put down on me - uncivil behaviour from a Civil Servant .

- More comically, a farmer rang for a licence to move a bull to which the girl on the phone asked the question: "Male or female?!"

- Our last story gives you a flavour of the stoicism and loyalty of Yorkshire farmers who turned out last Saturday to support Eric Burnett's farm sale on his retirement from Ripley's Farm at Harwood Dale after a lifetime's work. I don't think I can remember such a foul day for a sale and the intermittent showers forecast by the weather men were only interspersed with heavy rain. It poured down ceaselessly for five hours; and yet a wonderful good humoured crowd of farmers and their wives turned out to bid vigorously at Eric's farewell event.

MARKETING SERVICE

I am afraid it is a pretty gloomy marketing picture at the moment with the traditional autumn flush of livestock combining with the hopelessly impractical movement measures to depress trade.

The worst species is lamb which are really difficult to sell even at prices as low as 130p/kilo.

As a marketing service, we haven't yet taken less than 140p/kilo and I have to repeat that the major obstacle in maintaining prices is the farmer who sells direct without negotiating a price. Some local retailers are sticking to price levels around 150-160p/kilo and I still have the odd lot sold at 185p/kilo but I am sure this is pretty unique.

If you can hang on to your lambs, the situation must resolve itself in time and most industry forecasts are that there will be a shortage of sheep meat later in the winter.

The trade for cull ewes is not much better with prices dropping to around 70p/kilo.

Cattle supplies have been affected by the weather and quite a lot of stock has been put into the abattoirs which should have gone on for further feeding; but because of the difficulties in obtaining licences the producers have taken the easier slaughter route.

'R' grade clean cattle have dropped to around 160-166p/kilo with bulls 1p or 2p less.

There are pretty severe penalties for poor quality and badly fed carcasses so do be careful about the deal being done.

A '-O' steer at one abattoir was down graded to 140p/kilo which just looks hard enough.

OTMS cows are moving quite well and if you still want to get some away please ring us.

Pigs have taken a dip and baconers are running from 90p/kilo upwards with the best porkers coming in at around 105p/kilo.

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

Updated: 09:20 Thursday, October 04, 2001