From December 13, 2023, non-assured UK livestock farmers will be required to provide a declaration signed by a vet for their products to be eligible for export to the EU.
The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) said this requirement is due to an EU animal health regulation change mandating farms producing animals or products of animal origin for export to have regular veterinary visits.
The previous temporary requirement, which involved a farmer declaration, will be replaced by this new procedure.
To obtain this declaration, farmers must undergo regular animal health checks conducted by qualified veterinarians.
During these visits, the vet will carry out a visual assessment of the farm to confirm it is free of notifiable diseases, with no sampling or laboratory testing needed.
This does not need to be the sole purpose of the visit and can be combined with other visits, providing that all animals present at the farm are considered.
The visit from the vet should occur at least once during a 12-month period, but if the vet considers a need for a subsequent visit before the 12-month mark, this will be communicated to the livestock owner and clearly stated in the declaration.
Farmers that are part of an approved farm assurance scheme already meet the requirement for a veterinary visit so no additional veterinary declaration is required.
Schemes currently approved are:
- Red Tractor;
- Quality Meat Scotland (QMS);
- Farm Assured Welsh Livestock Beef and Lamb Scheme (FAWL);
- Welsh Lamb and Beef Producers Ltd. (WLBP).
If your farm has had an annual health and welfare review as part of the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, then this will also fulfil the requirements.
You will need to retain the receipt from your visit as evidence as official veterinarians certifying goods for export do not have any access to the AHWP database.
These regulatory changes were due to take effect on December 13, 2022, but the government agreed to delay the implementation of the new rule by a year, allowing farmers more time to prepare for the change and arrange the necessary vet visits.
Dr. Phil Hadley of the AHDB said: “The UK ships approximately 72% of all its meat exports to the EU.
“It is particularly significant for the sheep meat sector, with 94% of sheep meat exports destined for the EU with a value of £475 million in 2022.
“In addition to this, £274 million worth of pig products and £347 million worth of beef meat was exported from the UK to the EU in 2022.”
“The organisation’s (AHDB) role includes supporting farmers with their export health certification, and with UK meat exports continuing to climb, we’re focusing on the future to identify new markets for our exporters, ensuring UK meat is enjoyed in more countries around the world.”
