Community Provisions (Bovine Semen) (Jersey) Regulations 200-.

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A decision made (12/03/2008) regarding: Community Provisions (Bovine Semen) (Jersey) Regulations 200-.

Decision Reference: MD-PE-2008-0058
Decision Summary Title	Community Provisions (Bovine Semen) (Jersey) Regulations 200-		Date of Decision Summary:	11 March 2008
Decision Summary Author:	Dr Paul Le Mière		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	N/A
Written Report Title	Community Provisions (Bovine Semen) (Jersey) Regulations 200-.		Date of Written Report:	7 March 2008
Written Report Author:	Dr Paul Le Mière		Written Report : Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: The Community Provisions (Bovine Semen) (Jersey) Regulations 200-.
Decision(s): The Chief Minister has approved the draft Community Provisions (Bovine Semen) (Jersey) Regulations 200- as attached and has decided to lodge them for States debate on April 29th.
Reason(s) for Decision: Dairy producers have voted by ballot in the majority for this change to allow importation of semen. The RJA&HS, the JMMB, Promar international dairy consultants and leading cattle geneticist Dr Maurice Bichard have all endorsed the need for semen importation to ensure the long term future of the Island herd. The draft regulations remove the current ban on cattle semen importation.
Resource Implications: None
Action required: Director of Environment to liaise with the States Greffier to lodge the draft Regulations for States debate on April 29th.
Signature:		Position: Chief Minister
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):

Community Provisions (Bovine Semen) (Jersey) Regulations 200-.

CHIEF MINISTERS DEPARTMENT

APPROVAL OF LODGING OF COMMUNITY PROVISIONS

(BOVINE SEMEN) (JERSEY) REGULATIONS 200-

Public

Purpose of the Report

In April 2007 the Chief Minister received a joint request from the RJA&HS council and the JMMB asking the Government to bring forward legislation to allow the importation of bovine semen. This request followed a ballot of dairy producers in which the majority voted that importation of semen was necessary for the future of the industry. While there is opinion for and against importing semen, it is felt on the strength of the evidence that is vital for the long term sustainability of the dairy industry in Jersey.

Discussion

In April 2007 the Chief Minister received a joint request from the RJA&HS council and the JMMB requesting the removal of the current prohibition on the importation of cattle semen in the Artificial Insemination of Domestic Animals (Jersey) Law 1952. This followed a ballot in which 60% of registered producers, which managed 75% of the Islands cows, voted for the change. This result was also recorded in a repeat ballot in February 2008.

This would be achieved in Jersey by implementing European Council Directive 88/407/EEC laying down the animal health requirements applicable to intra-Community trade and imports of semen of domestic animals of the bovine species. Directive 88/407 will be implemented by the proposed European Communities Legislation (Bovine Semen) (Jersey) Regulations 200- (the “Regulations”) and the future Artificial Insemination of Domestic Animals (Bovine Semen) (Jersey) Order 200- and the future Artificial Insemination of Domestic Animals (Jersey) Order 200-

While the legislation has to allow any cattle semen that meets the health requirements into Jersey, the pedigree status of the Island herd will be maintained and protected. Using imported pedigree Jersey semen will not change the look of the Jersey cow and the RJA&HS have stated categorically that to the layman the Jersey cattle in Jersey fields will look exactly as they do now.

This change in the law does not compel anyone to use imported genetics and those that want to use semen collected in Jersey previously or use semen from their own bulls can do so.

While there are concerns by some that this change will lead to milk import; the leading producers maintain that the failure to adopt this change will ultimately trigger a decline in the industry that will ultimately lead to the importation of milk and loss of the historic herd. This change to the law is vital as it will restore confidence to producers to stay in the industry and without it production may fall below critical levels as producers quit, leading to milk importation.

The States dairy advisor has calculated the financial impact of using imported Jersey pedigree semen, which has been endorsed by international dairy consultants Promar-International, clearly shows that over a 10 year period significant gains can be made in milk yields per cow as well as savings in feed use per litre of milk produced.

The reason that using imported semen is so advantageous is that an individual dairy business can either continue to grow milk output without increasing cow numbers and fixed costs involved in production (such as housing, labour, rent and machinery, etc), or reduce cow numbers while producing the same amount of milk and thereby reducing its costs. Fixed costs are currently very high in Jersey, they are notoriously difficult to reduce and are one of the main reasons for low profitability in most of the Island herds, as shown by the Dairy Industry Costing Scheme). Importing semen is not just about milk yield or efficiency of production but also gives benefits such as animal longevity and other health benefits. Due to the controls proposed under the draft Orders there is negligible health risk.

While there is the potential for non Jersey type animals in the Island, such as cross bred beef breeds, there is evidence from a logistical, husbandry and financial point of view that there will be a niche amount if any. It is expected that the situation will be similar to Guernsey which has allowed importation of semen for over 30 years and where there is only a niche production of beef animals, there are no other dairy breeds and also crucially the Island Guernsey breed is amongst the top performers in the UK.

This request for a change in the law comes from the majority of dairy producers, it is a fundamental part of the Jersey Milk Marketing Board’s recovery plan and it will have benefits to farmers, their cattle and consumers.

There are no financial or manpower implications for the States arising from the adoption of these draft Regulations.

Recommendation

The Chief Minister should lodge for States debate the Community Provisions (Bovine Semen) (Jersey) Regulation 200- and its associated Report at the earliest possible date.

Written by:	Dr Paul Le Mière Director of Environmental Management and the Rural Economy

Approved by:	Chris Newton Director of Environment

Attachments

European Communities Legislation (Implementation) (Bovine Semen) (Jersey) Regulations 200- AND RELATED Report.

dRAFT artificial Insemination of Domestic Animals (Bovine Semen) (Jersey) Order 200-

dRAFT Artificial Insemination of Domestic Animals (Jersey) Order 200-

Ministerial Decision ref: MD-PE-2008-0058

March 2008