To date owners of TB restricted herds have had to apply to APHA for a specific cattle movement licence each time they wanted to sell cattle to an Approved Finishing Unit (AFU), either directly or via an Approved TB Dedicated Sale for TB-restricted cattle (an ‘orange market’). The time needed to complete that process could sometimes make it difficult for keepers to meet the demands of cattle purchasers.
So, from 2nd October 2023, keepers of TB restricted herds will be able to apply for a general licence to cover the movement of cattle directly or through an Approved Dedicated Sale for TB-restricted cattle (an “orange market”) in England or Wales to:
- An Approved Finishing Unit/Approved Finishing Unit Enhanced with Grazing (in England)
- A slaughterhouse
The general licence will be valid for the time between short-interval tests. A new licence will need to be applied for after each short-interval test.
The licence, including detailed conditions, will be published on GOV.UK and information on https://gov.wales/bovine-tb and the TB hub will be updated. APHA will also be writing directly to market operators of TB dedicated sales in England and Wales to inform them of the changes.