A SCOTTISH cattle importer has spoken out after three of his cattle were culled due to a suspected case of bluetongue disease – even though his herd tested clear of the virus.
Robin McMurrich, from Stirling, imports Montbéliarde cattle from France from the Jura-Betail Co-op and, for the first time in his career, chose to import his cattle on the same truck as another batch of cattle. Only 10 were being transported for him in this instance and so it was more economical for them to be imported alongside another batch of cattle, which Mr McMurrich felt would be safe to do.
He commented: “I didn’t have any concerns about sharing a lorry, as the French vets are always very on the ball, and they will not produce an export certificate unless they have proof that all vaccinations are up-to-date, and all animals are tested for bluetongue before leaving France.”
However, the other batch imported alongside from McMurrich’s cattle tested positive for bluetongue when they arrived in Britain and all of that batch had to be culled, as well as three of McMurrich’s cattle. This, he said, was because they were all in-calf.
“There were concerns that the calves may carry the disease, even though the herd had tested clear for bluetongue, so I don’t really understand the logic there. They were put down within an hour of the other batch of cattle testing positive for bluetongue and I feel that it was a bit of a knee-jerk reaction,” he said.
Due to bluetongue procedure, Mr McMurrich will not receive any compensation for the lost heifers and the financial cost of that will be high: “I’m just really hacked off. It was a miserable two weeks after it happened and it didn’t need to be that way. I had all of the paperwork before the heifers were sent here, so I knew that they were clear of the disease.”
At present, it is not clear where the other batch of cattle came from and McMurrich claimed that when questions are put to the other importer about those cattle’s origin, no details are divulged.
He said: “I think it just shows that the other importer wanted cheap heifers to make big margins on and he obviously hasn’t had a clue what he was doing – and now this has happened.”
Asked what he intends to do in the future, he continued: “I will certainly continue to be vigilant in future, as I always have been and continue to go and view the cattle I am purchasing, and obtain all of their paperwork before they are imported here.
“Jura-Betail Co-op are always really vigilant, so I will continue to purchase from them, but I will never share a lorry again as it’s the first time I have ever done so, and look at the problems I have faced!”
Financial damage has yet to be assessed, but McMurrich is determined to ensure his buyer is compensated, adding: “All of the cattle have since tested clear for bluetongue, and the Scottish branch of the British Veterinary Association has confirmed this. The fact that myself and the co-op are genuine will, hopefully, stand us in good stead and a resolution for the buyer can be found.”