Nederlandse Belangenvereniging van Hobbydierhouders
NBvH 2005-2006 Afdrukken E-mail
The Dutch Association of Smallholders (NBvH) started in 2002, as a result of the experiences of smallholders during the FMD-crisis.

The NBvH aims at creating more possibilities for private persons who want to keep some farm animals without a profit and with accentuation on animal welfare.
In the Netherlands more than 150,000 people have farm animals just for fun. However, legislation concerning farm animals was and is issued for the commercial sector and has no consideration for this large group of non-commercial holders.
Thanks to the relentless issuing of the NBvH (amongst others) during the past two years, things are changing, slowly. But there is still a lot to be done to safeguard the position of hobby and smallholders in future; if only for the reason that these holders contribute considerably to the attractiveness of the countryside.
 The NBvH services a varied group of hobby and smallholders, like the unorganised with just a few animals for fun, who will never take them to a butcher and the ones (usually organised in breeding societies), who need to cover the costs of an expensive hobby and need to exchange the breeding surplus either with other breeders or need to bring the surplus animals into the commercial food chains through the slaughter house.

Targets for 2005

Our main targets will be unchanged:
Abolition of the non-vaccination policy
No more unnecessary, impeding legislation for non-commercial animals
Identification & Registration without harming the animal

All our suggestions for policy changes will never endanger public health. And at the same time smallholders do have a responsibility to the welfare of their animals, to prevention and the spreading of animal diseases.

And these are the subjects of our targets:
- national contingency plan on FMD (published in 2005)
- Classical Swine Fever contingency plan
- EU Directive on Avian Influenza (AI), (published January 2006)
- developing the national contingency plan on AI
- chips in stead of obligatory double ear tags
- Aujeszky contingency plan
- breeding programme for scrapie control
- research into possibilities for smallholders through small scale butchers
- rights and duties of the smallholder
- putting smallholders in a better position in the EU
- taking care of the interests of smallholders in general

Strategy

To achieve its targets the NBvH wants to work together with organisations that, although they have different perspectives, will profit from the realisation of our targets as well. And the NBvH will continue to have periodical consultations with Agriculture, various agricultural organisations, like the dairy and meat industries, and advisory organisations like the Council for Rural Areas (RLG) and the Council for Animal Affairs (RDA).

The Department has now published the new FMD-contingency plan; the NBvH is happy about the possibility for vaccination after an outbreak. But she does not agree with the Department that differentiation in policy for non-commercial animals would not be possible. These animals have no connection with the food chain, so there is no reason why they cannot be vaccinated. Especially if they are registered in a separate system.
And the NBvH states that special arrangements should be possible for rare breeds as well.

Classical Swine Fever

Marker vaccines are available for CSF. But the EU-directive and the national contingency plan have not yet been adjusted on this point. The NBvH wishes the same strategy for CSF as for FMD.

EU-Directive on Avian Influenza (AI) en the Contingency Plan AI

The EU has published the new Directive on AI. The NBvH, de NHDB, Aviornis International, Platform VH en SZH (their representatives attended the EU-conference) have contributed to the EU-conference on behalf of the Dutch smallholders. The Directive has some necessary openings for the national contingency plan to adjust the regulations in order to spare ‘pet’ animals. And although the Netherlands have a considerable density of commercial holdings, the NBvH is convinced that there shall always have to be enough space and possibilities for hobby breeding and holders of ‘pet’ poultry.

Chips in stead of obligatory double earmarks

The NBvH pleads for chips, because they are fraud proof and ear tags are not. And chips are also preferable in view of animal welfare. A judge even acquitted (4 November ’04) a smallholder, refusing to tag the ears of her pets. The rule of identification was overruled by the law on animal welfare.
The NBvH states that smallholders should not be obliged to hurt their animals, when their are alternatives like chips.
On July 9 2005 all sheep and goats have to have double identification (EU-Regulation). The NBvH will continue to put in every effort to change this into a small ear tag and a subcutaneous chip.

RDA-propositions on I&R ‘pet’ animals

The RDA (Council for Animal Affairs) has advised the Department on an I&R-system, so that ‘pet’ animals can be spared in future outbreaks. The NBvH has laid down with the Council that she is already preparing a separate I&R-system for animals that will not get into the commercial food chain.

Aujeszky control

The Dutch Union of pig-breeders want to stop vaccination for Aujeszky on April 15 2005 in order for the Netherlands to obtain the article-10 status one year later. The risks of infection seem to have become less and so without vaccinations the costs would be lower. But the NBvH would like to keep the possibility of vaccination for smallholders.

Breeding programme for scrapie control

In 2005 a new test on BSE will start, which means that in all the EU-countries all sheep and goats that were tested positive on scrapie will also be tested on BSE in order to distinguish scrapie from BSE. This new test is a supplement to the tests in the current breeding programme, which is a heavy burden for small breeders and holders of rare breeds (due to loss of important blood lines). The NBvH had achieved for breeders with less than 10 ewes that they do not have to apply to the regulation of only using TSE- insensitive (ARR-ARR genotype) rams. This exemption should be maintained in the future and it should apply for breeders in open country (shepherds and National Trusts) and breeders of rare breeds as well. but in the 2005 it was revoked. The Minister has promised to look again at the Dutch Regulation with an open eye to new insights like the TSE-Roadmap and the quick TSE-test.

Separate slaughter possibilities for smallholders

The NBvH wants to investigate the possibilities of separate slaughter for the surplus of small breeders. Because in view of our wishes to vaccinate, these breeders will need a separate chain as long as we have export impediments for vaccinated products. It will be interesting to learn from other European countries how they deal with this problem.

Rights and duties of smallholders

Smallholders have an obligation towards their animals for their welfare, for prevention and the spreading of diseases. The NBvH has had many complaints from the commercial sector about smallholders being the cause of outbreaks and spreading the disease. However research has proven that usually the many contacts of the sector itself was the origin of most outbreaks and spreading.
So the NBvH will draft a document in which is stated what the rights and the duties of responsible smallholders are.

The position of smallholders in the EU

The EU-conference on animal disease control of 15 and 16 December 2004 showed very clearly that the interests of smallholders are not only a Dutch issue, but must be contested for in Brussels as well. The NBvH knows that it will be very important to create a European ‘location of address’ for smallholders. We have started to make contact with several smallholders organisations in the UK, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, France, Spain, Sweden, Luxemburg and even the United States (letter). A fruitful cooperation has proceeded from this initiative, so the joint interests will be served stronger in future. So far we have produced three joint letters. One to the Markos Kyprianou, one to the European Council of Agriculture (45 signatories) and one to the Food Chain Partners (21 signatories).
 
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