Abattoirs have pledged to introduce a clear line of communication to ensure that lorry washing facilities are adequate for effective biosecurity. Cleaning and disinfection of livestock transport vehicles was the subject of an important meeting held in Diss yesterday. BPEX Eastern Pig Health led the discussion between livestock hauliers, farmers, processors, pig marketing groups and veterinarians.

We discussed the benefits of having farm contact numbers clearly visible to pig transport vehicles and other visitors at the gate or near the farm entrance. This led to a proposal and agreement to do the same at abattoir lorry washing facilities.

Typical issues livestock hauliers may find include water leaks, a hose pipe that is not long enough or lack of disinfectant. This new initiative will mean that drivers can quickly find the number and make contact with someone who has responsibility for the lorry washing facilities.

I’m anticipating that by the end of today we will have confirmation from 50% of the BQAP abattoirs committing to put this system in place. We need to take shared responsibility to get this to work within the supply chain. I think everyone went away from the meeting feeling much more confident that we can improve biosecurity with more consistent and effective vehicle cleaning and disinfection.