WV Farm Bureau Magazine January 2016 | Page 8

spread according to best management practices to reduce the chances of a breach in bio-security of other agricultural enterprises If this policy is not acceptable to the primary breeder, we recommend the primary breeder pay the difference in cost between commercial fertilizer and litter to the farmers within the restricted area who are incurring extra expense due to this policy. 4. LOOSE ANIMAL STANDARDS AGRICULTURE 1. CAPTIVE CERVID PROGRAM West Virginia Farm Bureau supports the Captive Cervid Program, provided it is under strict regulatory control with enforcement of all program operations and there is no selfcertification by any current or future deer farming operation. The West Virginia Department of Agriculture must provide certified program staff and administrators to carry out the Captive Cervid Program. 2. FORGING & FALSIFYING ANIMAL HEALTH PAPERS Farmers have often faced criminal charges for animals getting loose outside of the farmer’s knowledge or control. A clear set of standards and/ or legislation needs to be established which addresses any civil or criminal liability relative to loose farm animals, to ensure that farmers are protected from criminal charges when animals escape confinement (fences, buildings, etc.) through no fault of the owner. West Virginia Farm Bureau supports the development of loose animal standards through the Livestock Care Standards Board and/or the West Virginia Legislature. 5. NOTIFICATION OF HAZARDOUS MATERIAL SPILL In the event of a hazardous material spill by an outside party, property owners/operators shall be West Virginia Farm Bureau supports updating and notified immediately by the proper authorities (but no modernizing the existing laws and fines in Chapter longer than 24 hours) of the nature and magnitude of 19 of the West Virginia Code and adding laws and the materials spilled. The landowner/operator should penalties for forging or falsifying animal health have input in the clean-up procedure. One agency papers. should be responsible to keep the landowner/operator fully informed of all materials and progress of the 3. POULTRY LITTER cleanup and recovery. The landowner/operator should have the right No commercial litter may be transported or spread to discuss any concerns with ONE designated within one (1) mile of a primary poultry stock breeder representative who has the exclusive knowledge site unless the litter meets all four of the following and authority to make a lasting decision. WVFB conditions: recommends that the Department of Environmental All litter shall be properly composted or dry Protection (DEP) be the agency of contact. stacked at least thirty (30) days All litter shall be tested and certified by the 6. FOOD PRODUCTION AND GOOD WVDA to be free of salmonella, mycoplasma SCIENCE and avian influenza prior to movement All litter being transported off the premises of West Virginia Farm Bureau recognizes the need origin shall have a certification accompanying for environmental protection, as well as the need the load to balance the dietary and economic needs of our All litter used for soil amendments must be citizens. Due to the urgency of needed remediation ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ 8 West Virginia Farm Bureau News