Business

DAERA to assist in disposal of dead animals from floods

DAERA has announced that it intends to assist farmers in the Glenelly and Owenkillew valleys with the disposal of dead animals following the flooding. Tyrone farmer Drew Fleming shows UFU leaders Barclay Bell and Ivor Ferguson some of the storm damage on his land. Picture by Cliff Donaldson
DAERA has announced that it intends to assist farmers in the Glenelly and Owenkillew valleys with the disposal of dead animals following the flooding. Tyrone farmer Drew Fleming shows UFU leaders Barclay Bell and Ivor Ferguson some of the storm damage on DAERA has announced that it intends to assist farmers in the Glenelly and Owenkillew valleys with the disposal of dead animals following the flooding. Tyrone farmer Drew Fleming shows UFU leaders Barclay Bell and Ivor Ferguson some of the storm damage on his land. Picture by Cliff Donaldson

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs has announced that it intends to assist farmers in the Glenelly and Owenkillew valleys with the disposal of dead animals lost in the recent flooding in the area.

It is one of a number of measures DAERA has put in place to support farmers affected by the serious flooding in the north west.

DAERA will arrange for the collection and disposal of the animals provided landowners can arrange for these to be taken to suitable areas of hard standing. Any such collection location must be accessible to large vehicles.

This is not a compensation scheme. However, in order to prevent the development of animal and public health issues, DAERA will manage carcase collections in the week commencing 4 September.

Farmers in these affected areas are invited to contact DAERA as soon as possible (before 4pm on September 7) to avail of this support. Telephone 0300 200 7840, ask for your local Divisional Veterinary Office (Omagh or Strabane) and provide details of the number and type of stock to be collected and a contact number.

Farmers whose cattle drowned or are missing are also advised as follows: If cattle have died and you know their tag numbers notify the deaths in the normal way using an MC1 document or using APHIS online. If you don’t know the tag numbers of the animals tell your local DAERA office how many animals are involved.

If cattle are missing, inform your local DAERA office providing the number of animals involved and if possible their tag numbers.

Where the initial information provided to DAERA does not include tag numbers, these should be provided as soon as you know them.

In light of the impacts of the extreme conditions, DAERA is adopting a flexible approach to late notification of animal losses from affected premises.