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The NBA a UK Organisation? Dumfries and Galloway standard Sept 2008
My poor opinion of the National Beef Association is no secret - their latest shenanigans in the aftermath of a Scottish stakeholder’s bluetongue policy meeting have done nothing to improve it. It seems that the rest of the people that were attending the meeting are living in a parallel universe to the one that the NBA live in and that theirs is the only voice of truth and reason that is left in the world. Unsurprisingly, the NBA had come away from the meeting with the news that early vaccination for Scotland had been discussed and had been supported. Hmm, I wonder whose idea that was? This idea would certainly seem to sit well beside the rest of the press releases from the NBA this summer. The common thread that has run through their press announcements has been that Scotland should vaccinate as soon as possible for whatever reason that they could seize upon. On this particular occasion it seems that, the cattle focused group, in a rare case of empathy with sheep farmers, see it as vital that Scottish flock masters in the hills should be able to vaccinate earlier than it is planned, so that it fits in with their autumn routine. Gosh, isn’t that kind of them to offer support to our sheep farmers. It did, however, make a refreshing change from their more usual approach which is to suggest that Scotland, unless they vaccinate ASAP, will find themselves isolated from their much larger neighbour and as a result we will be cast into a pit of despair and plunged into a state of ruin! Why, if it were not for the claim that the NBA is a body that represents farmers in Scotland as well as in England, it could almost be construed that these were bullying tactics from South of the border. But, it can’t be - can it? The NBA claims to have around 500 Scottish members. Their members list is not available but it could be that it will include well know Scottish beef barons like Lord McLucan. It will not, most certainly, contain my name. I withdrew my support for the organisation some years ago when the Chief Executive, at that time, made his feelings known to the press that he was fed up with the Scottish board members that were on the committee at that time. It seemed they would not come to heel when he barked. Imagine, Scottish people having their own opinions! I have an idea that Charlie Milne, the chief vet for Scotland, is better placed than anyone in the NBA to make big grown up decisions about the Scottish strategy to deal with the threat of Bluetongue. I would imagine that he will be taking a pragmatic view of the whole situation without any hidden agendas to cloud his decisions. He will be listening to the other stakeholder’s views and he will weigh them up against his own knowledge and understanding of the disease. Who knows? If we get through this high risk period without any cases of the disease in the UK he may well change his advice. Will there be a case for Scotland not to vaccinate at all? After all, the risk of the disease spreading in England is now greatly reduced because much of the livestock has been vaccinated. Coupled to this, Mother Nature seems to be on our side as well. Weather conditions lately have been more conducive to the spread of Trench Foot than any insect borne threat. If we leave the Scottish vaccine in the fridge a whole range of options is open to us. Breaking it out prematurely and using it in the absence of a confirmed case anywhere in the UK and before the start of the vector free period would be a decision that we could regret. |