TWO LOCAL farming leaders have urged producers to sign up to the new carcase collection service.

The National Beef Association and the National Pig Association both say the subscription charges for the service represent good value.

Robert Robinson, a Northumberland farmer and chairman of the NBA, said it could cost an average of £90 to arrange the private disposal of a dead bovine - and in some areas substantially more.

"In these circumstances a subscription fee of £200 for large farms, £100 for medium sized and £50 for small must be seen as an investment - and in many cases will mean less money being laid out than when farmers buried the dead animals themselves," he said.

Businesses still able to use knackermen, or a hunt kennel, may need to examine the cost more closely but, for the vast majority, the new arrangements should make the disposal of fallen stock both easier and cheaper.

"In view of this, and the fact that the subscription could be reduced if the great majority of farmers come on board, the NBA positively recommends the new scheme to its members - many of whom will be relieved that the industry and Government representatives have been able to negotiate such a favourable arrangement," said Mr Robinson.

Stewart Houston, executive director of the NPA, also urged pig producers to consider joining the scheme. Even those with alternative means of disposal should sign up to ensure its success and so that there would always be a stand-by available.

"Although I have an incinerator on my unit, I will sign up anyway," said Mr Houston, who farms near Bedale.

He said the small print still had to be completed but the NPA would press for strict biosecurity measures to ensure the collection of carcases did not bring the risk of spreading disease.

Carcase collection would need to be some distance from pig units, with a suitable biosecurity barrier between carcase deposit and collection.

"We take it as read that all producers will introduce strict washing and disinfecting protocols and we know many will want to go well beyond any guidelines laid down by Defra and the NPA," said Mr Houston.

It was important that other livestock producers adopted similar measures.

The NPA wanted the scheme to be a long term one but, even if Government funding was lost after a year or two, it would still have been good value.

It welcomed Defra's pledge to enforce the regulations with a "light touch" and urged producers to make sensible arrangements for carcase disposal during what would be a difficult interim period.

Rules surrounding incineration remain unclear and the NPA urged producers buying a low capacity incinerator to insist the supplier provided an unqualified written guarantee that it would perform to the standard required by the regulations and was of the correct design.

From Thursday, the only legal methods of carcase disposal will be rendering, incineration or hunt kennels.

The deadline for farmers to express initial interest in joining the scheme is May 6. If more than half the UK's livestock holdings back it, the Government hopes to have it up and running in the next few months.