Farmers have been encouraged to develop a Covid-19 contingency plan to ensure the welfare of their stock is not compromised if family or staff become unwell.
A clear, documented emergency plan will highlight potential risks and a list of key contacts to prepare for the unexpected and ensure that health and welfare standards are maintained as part of the ‘whole chain’ assurance scheme.
Quality Meat Scotland introduced a remote assessment tool in April 2020 as part of its five-point plan for assurance assessments during Covid-19.
As restrictions eased, physical assessments were re-introduced in early July and are now default for the assessment process.
Template
A contingency plan template can be found at qmscotland under the respective assurance scheme.