Farmers and meat processors are trying to prevent new Defra proposals which they believe will damage exports and increasingly force farmers to be quality assured.

The latest issue surrounds pre-export requirements which are set to change from a farmer declaration to a veterinary attestation with effect on December 13, under a new Defra animal health documentation policy.

Since the EU introduced a requirement for farms to have regular animal health visits by a vet to become export compliant, farmers have been able to comply with EU Animal Health Regulations (AHR) by providing a simple farmer declaration that vet visits have been done.

But in May, Defra took the 'unilateral' decision to add a UK-only requirement that all farms not covered by a UK farm assurance scheme will need to use a vet to sign the new animal health documents. Failure to do so will stop them obtaining an export health certificate.

Farms that are members of Red Tractor, Quality Meat Scotland or the Farm Assured Welsh Livestock will meet this new requirement and would not need to provide further evidence at the point of export to official veterinarians (OVs).

But farms that are not assured would need to be able to provide evidence that they have had regular vet visits to enable OVs to sign export health certificates (EHCs) at the point of export.

The NFU Scotland and the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers have both put their names to a letter sent to Defra that the new rules will be 'another shot in the foot for the economy, with big unintended consequences for farmers, processors and consumers alike.'

Martin Morgan, executive manager with SAMW, said: “If the proposed interpretation of EU law that is being advocated by Defra is implemented in December, then the export trade will be hit, all products derived from non QA stock such as hides and skins, offals and fifth quarter material, as well as fresh meat will be barred from being sold on export markets.

"While we are fortunate in Scotland that a good majority of farm are in QMS QA schemes, a greater degree of batching stock for processing will be necessary to ensure QA animals are processed separately from non QA stock unless farmers that carry non-QA stock can get their local vet along quickly to provide the requirement paperwork.

“It is bizarre that the UK Government is making our job of competing on the international stage more difficult than it needs to be and heaping extra costs on the supply chain when it is already buckling under other cost pressures, both commercial and regulatory."