Older Cattle Disposal Scheme
Older Cattle Disposal Scheme
The Older Cattle Disposal Scheme (OCDS) closed on 31st December 2008.
Background
The OCDS scheme was set up by the Rural Payments Agency as a replacement to the Over Thirty Month Scheme (OTMS) following amendments issued to Commission Regulation No. 716/96 (as amended) in November 2005. this authorised the Rural Payments Agency to purchase and bovine animal born before 1st August 1996 subject to certain conditions. The OCDS scheme was funded by the EU and the UK Government and commenced on 23rd January 2006.
Operation of the Scheme
The OCDS catered for animals born before 1st August 1996 following the reintroduction of animals born from 1st August 1996 into the human and animals feed chains on 7th November 2005. The OCDS existed as a UK agricultural market support measure, and was a public confidence measure given public concern over the possible link between Bovine spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) in humans. This concern had resulted, firstly in the Commission Decision 96/239 being issued in March 1996 prohibiting the export of bovine animals or any part of them from the UK and, secondly, UK and EU legislation banning the introduction of bovine animals of more than 30 months at the time of slaughter into the human food and animal feed chains. The latter having later been amended to prevent animals born before 1st August 1996 from entering the human food and animal feed chains.
The OCDS allowed for bovine animals to be purchased until 31st December 2008 with compensation rates reducing each year during the life of the scheme.
Scheme Eligibility Requirements
In order for an animal to be eligible to enter the OCDS it must have been born before 1st August 1996.
- The current disease control legislation prevents animals from being returned to holdings from abattoirs, and also from a number of markets. Producers must therefore ensure that the animals are eligible for the scheme before presenting them. Producers must therefore familiarise themselves with the current legislation in force.
- The animal must not show any clinical sign of BSE.
- The animal must be fit for human consumption and, in the case of emergency on farm kills, only those animals slaughtered on farm as a result of an accident will be eligible for the scheme.
- The animal must be kept on the holding of the producer claiming the compensation for at least 28 days before presentation.
- The animals must be born or imported into the UK before 1st August 1996.
- All national legislation on the keeping and movement of bovine animals must be complied with. This will include:
- all welfare requirements;
- tagging;
- farm records; and
- National Administrative Documentation.
The entire carcase must be disposed of under the scheme.
Now that the OCDS has come to an end the only means of disposing of animals born before 1st August 1996 is via the Fallen Stock route. These animals are not eligible for the food chain and costs of the disposal rests with the producer.
Page published: 11 October 2011