"A positive meeting this week with the Licensing team at Worcester APHA. They do a fantastic job under very difficult circumstances during an Avian Influenza (AI) outbreak.
Industry representatives attending the meeting included those businesses that have had extensive experience of applying for movement licences during the 2016/17 AI outbreak.
A number of action points were agreed including amendments to the movement application form, (EXD100), to provide fuller information to the APHA to enable them to prioritise applications.
Let's hope that we won't have to use it any time soon but if we do, after this weeks meeting, I believe that we will be in better shape to face the challenges ahead. Significant log jams however remain notably pullets from rearing farms in England to layer farms in Scotland and Wales.
Nonetheless the process of issuing movement licences has improved immeasurably since the first of the recent AI outbreaks in November 2014 helped significantly by the centralisation of licences to Worcester APHA office.
Industry representatives expressed their appreciation and thanks to the Licensing team for the huge effort that they put in earlier this year".
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