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Vet Attestation Update
Worried about December 13th? Join our Sustainable Pork Production Committee Open Meeting.
- Who and what is this new committee.
- Vet Attestations
- Animal Health and Welfare Pathway
- Small Abattoir Support fund
- Marketing – How to get the best out of our Big Barn Map
- Marketing – What do you need for your pork business.
- How can you get involved.
When - Wednesday 11th October 7pm
How – Click here to register for the meeting
From 13.12.2023 if you do not have a Vet Attestation Number (VAN) you may not be able to get your pigs killed – right in the run up to Christmas.
To avoid any problems for you need to take the following actions:
- If you have your vet out – ask them to complete one
- When you visit your abattoir ask if you will need one or not
The good news is that the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway Review is now open to all producers in England. This means that you can apply for the Review visit and receive a grant of £684 to cover the cost of the vet visit and some blood testing.
To qualify for the grant you must have 51 pigs on the farm at the time of the visit. Even if you don’t have 51 pigs now you can still register for the grant and then arrange the visit once your January litters are on the ground.
For more details on how to apply for the grant see the news item - THE ANIMAL HEALTH & WELFARE PATHWAY (AHWP) HEALTH REVIEW IS NOW OPEN TO ALL PIG KEEPERS IN ENGLAND.
If you have a vet visit planned for any other reason make sure you ask your vet to issue the Attestation document as part of the visit. You can also ask your vet to issue the document retrospectively if they have been out to the farm in the last few months.
What do I do with this Attestation? The document will have a Veterinary Attestation Number (VAN) made up of your CPH, the vet practice number and the date. From the 13th December abattoirs and markets may want to have sight of this number to accept your pigs.
We have been working closely with AHDB to update the eAML2 movement licencing system to allow the VAN to be added to movement licence so that abattoirs and markets will be able to pick this up electronically. This update will be in place for the 13th December. This will cover pig keepers in England and Wales. In Scotland there will be a slightly different solution from Scot EID and if you would like to know more do come and see us at the Scottish Smallholders Festival at the Royal Highland Showground on 14th October.
Do you really need this certificate? Most small abattoirs will not be exporting themselves but the problem is that they may sell other bits of the pig that you don’t get back. This 5th quarter may end up being exported by another company who will need the paperwork.
If your abattoir definitely does not sell these other bits of the pig, for example if they incinerate it themselves or send it for rendering then they may not need the Attestation. If that is the case then please ask then to confirm this and let us know by email
We urge all keepers to speak to their abattoir as soon as possible and ask the right question. Its no use just asking, “do you export” what you need to ask is “what happens to the bits of the pig that I don’t get back”. If they don’t know then you may need to get an Attestation.
Remember the Attestation can cover all your livestock including sheep and cattle from one visit and if you have 51 pigs in England you can get it paid for as part of the Animal Health and Welfare Review.
The British Pig Association (BPA) exists to conserve our rare breed pigs, promote our pedigree breeds and ensure breed longevity.