Last updated at 15:42, Friday, 28 October 2011

Live calf exports from Cumbria will resume within days after a computer problem at the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency was fixed.

But exports will only be permitted from areas of low bovine TB incidence because manual checks will also have to be conducted by staff in a ‘belt and braces’ approach to the new computer system.

The problem arose last month because the new system could not establish the bovine TB disease status of some cattle.

Exports could begin today from collection centres in Scotland and the north of England, including Cumbria. It is not clear when exports will begin again from the rest of the country.

Farmer Gareth Ogden, of Pearsgill, Calthwaite, said he was relieved that things were getting back to normal as without the export market black and white bull calves fetch just a few pounds.

He has five calves that are now too old to be exported without an expensive TB test, which costs about £15 per animal. He will keep these calves and fatten them on the farm.

Around 1,000 black and white bull calves are exported from Cumbria through auction marts and other agents every fortnight.

First published at 14:07, Friday, 28 October 2011
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk