By Debbie James

A surge in licence applications for new livestock quarantine units on Welsh farms is expected in March.

To date, 75 applications have been submitted to Quality Welsh Food Certifications (QWFC) Ltd, the quarantine unit (QU) certification body appointed by the Welsh Government; of these 63 have so far been approved.

The government believes this level of application is due, to some extent, to the delayed start in September; this was at the end of the show season and had been requested by the farming industry.

It is understood that livestock keepers might be holding back to maximise the benefit of their licence fee of £172.80 for one unit.

“We do not expect many, if any, new applications until around March when livestock keepers apply enabling them to use their QU for two summer show seasons as part of their 18-month certification period,’’ said a Welsh Government spokesperson.

The new isolation system, designed to prevent the spread of disease when livestock are moved onto a farm, came into force last autumn.

A QU is a designated area on the farm, either indoors or outdoors, which QWFC considers suitable for isolating cattle, sheep or goats for six days once they arrive on the farm.

It enables farmers to move cattle, sheep or goats onto their farm without observing the six-day standstill (6DSS) rules on their entire holding.

QUs were introduced to enable animals to be moved off the main holding while incoming animals observe the 6DSS requirements in the unit.

Livestock keepers must report individual movements into QUs within 24 hours, via the Cattle Tracing System (CTS), or EIDCymru for sheep and goats. Movements out of a QU to the main holding must be reported within three days.

Previously, there was a system of isolation units and Sole Occupancy Authorities but the exemptions around these were complex.

Wales’ chief veterinary officer, Christianne Glossop, said QUs simplify the standstill regime and give farmers greater flexibility while maintaining the movement controls that are needed to prevent the spread of disease.

“QUs are a genuine attempt to balance farmers’ needs with the needs of disease control. QUs were developed at the request of, and in close collaboration with, the farming industry,’’ she said.

“Farmers shouldn’t see QUs as a hassle and a means of getting around six-day standstill. If they are bringing animals onto their farm there is a disease risk.’’

There were around 6,000 isolation units and 6,000 sole occupancy authorities in place before the new arrangements came into force last September.

Each holding can have up to two QUs and the cost is £172.80 including VAT for one or £244.80 for two. These payments will be used to fund inspections.

Applications for QUs must be approved by QWFC qwfc.co.uk/index.php/en/quarantine-unit-scheme.